


No Sense in Denying It

by rosesandspades713



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Cunnilingus, Eventual Smut, F/M, Familial Relationships, Female Reader, Fluff, Named Reader, No More Resets, Plot happens, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, but seriously this story focuses heavily on family, it only took a million years but we finally made it to the bone zone, it's gonna be a good time, meanwhile Plot Continues to Happen, not just blood-related family either but like friend family too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2018-07-10 10:54:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 102,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6981433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesandspades713/pseuds/rosesandspades713
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've been living on your own for nearly seven years now. You have your dog Toby, and friends from work and the like. But in the grand scheme of things, you're pretty much alone. And you're okay with that.</p><p>But after an embarrassing misunderstanding one night, you start to make more friends. Your little corner of the Universe begins to expand. And then, just a few months later, something happens that will change the little world you've carved out for yourself forever.</p><p>You're going to have to learn how to deal with it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out For a Walk

**Author's Note:**

> guess who's back with another multichapter story!!
> 
> I've been working on this for a little over a week now, and I finally have enough written that I can start to post updates. For those of you wondering where my updates have been on my other fic, this is what I was working on instead. I came up with the idea in the middle of my AP Gov class, and it just wouldn't leave me head. So here we are, with a new fic!
> 
> The Reader in this story is more an OC than she is a Reader, so if that turns anybody off, I'm sorry. But I feel that this is the best way to tell the story I have coming for you guys. I'm really excited to see what you guys think of this one!

You’ve always liked the month of March. Sure, it’s still dark when you get up in the morning and drizzling by the time you leave for work, but you don’t mind. You like the rain, actually. The small balcony just off the kitchen of your apartment has a cover, so sometimes you just stand out there, breathing in the clean, wet air. 

Of course, rain is wet, and because you live in an apartment, you can’t just let your dog on the balcony to do his business. You need to take him on a walk. 

So when you get home after work, and your dog comes trotting over, head cocked to the side, you resign yourself to a few minutes of standing out in the rain. 

“Okay, Toby. Let’s go for a walk,” you say, grabbing his leash from the hook on the wall. He lets you clip it on, and then starts pulling you towards the door. Poor boy. He’s impatient. 

Toby hates the elevator, but his legs are too short for the stairs, so instead you spend a good minute trying to force him into what he views as a metal death trap. 

“Come on buddy, we do this at  _ least  _ three times a day. You can do this,” you encourage him. Finally, he gets in the elevator. He trembles a little on the way down, and you feel bad. At your old place, you were on the bottom floor, which made getting Toby outside literally a walk in the park. Now, however, your apartment is on the fifth floor. So the elevator has become a necessity. 

After what must have been an agonizing thirty seconds for your poor dog, the doors open again, and he pulls you with all his 15 pounds of strength towards the door. 

The rain outside is still little more than mist, and it feels refreshing on your face. Inhaling a breath of the air, you smile. Spring is officially on its way. You can’t wait for the leaves to sprout and flowers to bloom. As cliché as it might be, you’ve always loved spring. 

You're shaken out of your thoughts by Toby’s incessant tugging on the leash in your hand. Oh, right. You’re supposed to be walking him. 

“Sorry buddy,” you say. “Let’s go.”

There's a park not too far from your apartment complex. It’s small, but you like it just the same. And once spring hits in full force, it will look  _ beautiful.  _ There are cherry trees everywhere, and you know that once it’s a little warmer outside, the park will be literally covered in pink blossoms. 

Under one of these trees is Toby’s favorite peeing spot. You can’t help but wonder if all the local dogs pee there, because Toby will literally never pee anywhere else. Today is no exception. 

Once he’s done, he pads back over to you and you pat him on the head. “Good boy,” you say. The two of you meander through the park some more, but the raindrops seem to be getting bigger, so you eventually turn back and return to your apartment building. 

“Hey Dex!” you say to the receptionist when you see he’s looking your way. 

“Cate! Hi!” he responds. “How was the walk?”

You move to stand by his desk, Toby in tow. “It was alright, but I wish it wasn’t raining so much. Poor Toby here didn’t get much exercise.”

“How can he ever survive?” Dex says, bending down to pet your dog. Toby lets him, and you’re just a little surprised. Toby only lets a few select people pet him, and usually Dex is not one of those people. 

Dex looks surprised as well. “You sure you didn’t tire him out? He’s downright mellow right now.”

“I think the rain bums him out,” you say. “I’ll see you later, Dex.” The two of you wave at each other and you turn around to head to the elevator...only to run into someone. “Shoot, I’m so sorry!” you apologize immediately, before you can get a good look at the person. 

“nah, it’s alright,” you hear a low voice say. “shoulda looked where i was going.”

You nod and continue on your way, face burning. God, you hate doing embarrassing things! You feel like a tomato. Trying to brush off the feeling, you take Toby into the elevator and press the button for the fifth floor. 

One traumatic ride later, you and Toby step back into your apartment. You unclip his leash and he thanks you by running off into your bedroom and jumping on the bed. Rolling your eyes, you go into your tiny little kitchen and make yourself a sandwich. Delicious. 

Toby comes out of your room when he smells the peanut butter, and you sigh to yourself before pulling out a spoon. 

“I spoil you too much,” you say as you scoop up some peanut butter and hold out the spoon to him. He licks it up gladly, and you know he will spend the next ten minutes just licking. He’s a good boy. 

Your magnificent dinner now complete, you take a seat on your couch and turn on the TV. It’s the local news station, and it looks like the reporter is taking a tour of Foster Pharmaceuticals. With a reflex that only comes from years of experience, you change the channel to ABC just in time to catch Jeopardy. Much better. 

If you were any less confident, you might feel weird about shouting out the answers when there is nobody but Toby in the house, but you can’t bring yourself to care. You live alone, what’s wrong with talking to yourself once in a while? 

After that’s over, you drop your plate in the sink and look out the window. It’s dark now, but you can tell it’s still raining. Perfect. You run your fingers along your bookshelf, settling on  _ The Secret Garden.  _ You haven’t read it for a while, and you miss it. Slipping on a warm jacket, you turn on the balcony light and go outside, settling down in the chair you set out there. Confident that Toby won’t cause too much mischief (you leave him alone for several hours of the day and you still come home to a functioning apartment), you have no qualms about losing yourself in the novel. 

Which, of course, you do. You’re halfway through the novel before you check the time. 10:27. Time for bed. You have to be at work at eight in the morning, and you plan on getting enough sleep so you won’t fall asleep in the agarose gel. That wouldn’t make Dr. Nelson very happy.

You work as a permanent chemistry lab tech at Friedman University, on the other side of the city. It’s your alma mater, and back when you graduated, desperately needing a job, your favorite professor, Dr. Nelson, offered you a spot as her lab assistant. Fast-forward seven years, and now, while you don’t teach at the university, you have the credentials to teach 100-level chemistry classes. Maybe you will someday. 

After going through your nightly routine, you turn on the light in your bedroom only to find Toby already lying there, taking up more of the bed than you’d think an 18-inch long dog could. 

“Alright Toby, I’m coming in,” you say, gently pushing him off to one side as you crawl in the other. “Goodnight, buddy.”

* * *

 

You wake up to a blaring noise that you think at first is your alarm. But...no. Your alarm is music, not a persistent, deafening beep that sounds dangerously like the alarm your high school used when the kitchen forgot to clear out the smoke.

And then it hits you. The fire alarm. The building’s fire alarm is going off. Without a second thought, you leap out of bed, startling Toby in the process. You’re really glad that you fell asleep in a sweatshirt, because now you just have to find a pair of pants. There are some jeans lying on the floor, probably covered in Toby hair. You shake them out and shimmy into them, a little surprised at how calm you are. When that’s done, you rush out into the main room and slip into your tennis shoes. 

You’re about to head out the door when Toby comes running up to you. Oh God, you almost forgot him! Instead of trying to find the leash in the dark, you scoop him up, glad that he’s being docile. Usually he hates being picked up. 

Picking up your keys from their spot next to the door, you head out. Remembering from somewhere in your brain that you’re not supposed to take an elevator when there’s a fire, you head down the hallway to the stairwell. Looks like Toby will be able to use the stairs after all. 

You rush down the stairs, meeting a couple other tenants on the way down. You see young couples, people with kids, an old man with a crutch. Everyone looks confused, and some look scared. 

When you reach the bottom, you head outside with everyone else. Looking up at the building from the outside, you can’t see any smoke, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. 

Of course, if this was a false alarm, you’re gonna be really pissed. 

Toby starts squirming in your grip once he realizes he’s outside. Your grip on him tightens as you try to make sure he doesn't escape. The thing about Toby, however, is that he is very good at doing the exact opposite of what you want him to.

“Toby,  _ no!”  _ you cry as he jumps out of your arms. You move to grab him but he’s put his nose to the ground. He’s on the hunt for something. You follow as closely as you can, brushing past people and trying to keep your eye on your focused dog. 

Finally, he stops. You’re delighted...until you get closer and realize why. 

Toby’s jaw is clamped firmly around a bone. And while you would already be grossed out by Toby chewing on some random bone, it doesn't end there. No, your eyes follow up from the bone he’s gnawing on to another bone, to another bone, all the way until you lock gazes with a very tall, walking, living skeleton. 

“Hello!” he says in a loud, almost grating voice. “I am the Great Papyrus, and I believe your dog is chewing on my leg!”


	2. First Impressions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> daaaaaaaaamn alice, back at it again with another chapter
> 
> I'm glad people seem to like this so far! I hope you will all continue to like it!
> 
> Come visit me at my [tumblr](http://rosesandspades713.tumblr.com/), where I like to complain about my life choices!

Yep. This is how your life is going. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!” you cry out, not really sure of what to do. “I—he—Toby, stop!” 

Your distress at the complete rudeness of your dog is interrupted by a deep chuckle from somewhere behind you. 

“looks like that dog’s got a  _ bone  _ to pick with you, paps,” comes that low voice you heard in the apartment lobby earlier in the day. Turning around, you see another skeleton, shorter than the first, wearing a wide grin. 

“Sans, this is not the time for your puns!” Papyrus says. You're frozen from shock and confusion as he looks down at Toby, still chewing away at his leg, hands resting on his skeletal hips. “Excuse me, small dog. While I understand the alluring power of my magnificent legs, I cannot help but think that you should not be chewing on them! The Great Papyrus is not a meal to be enjoyed!”

The absurdity of the situation would make you laugh if you weren’t so mortified. Working through your embarrassment, you crouch down and manage to pry Toby’s jaws off the tibia (fibula? You were never very good at anatomy). Sighing in relief and victory, you pick up your dog and grip him tight to make sure he can’t escape again. 

Your little troublemaker now secured, you stand back up, preparing for some sort of retribution from the pair in front of you. Surprisingly, that doesn’t come. 

“hey, what’s your name?” asks the shorter one, the one you think you heard being called Sans. 

“Uh, I’m Cate,” you say, still not clear on what exactly your life has become in the last five minutes. “Again, I am so, so sorry about my dog, he—”

“Don’t worry! I am perfectly fine!” Papyrus interrupts. “Your dog was truly a worthy opponent, but the Great Papyrus is not so easily defeated!”

You decide to stop questioning everything that happens and roll with it. “That’s good! My, uh, my dog, the Fearsome Toby, is humbled by your strength.”

If it’s possible, Sans’ grin just got wider. 

“You know, human, you should feed your dog better so he stops trying to eat bones!” Papyrus exclaims. “If he feels as though he must devour such nutritionless food, then I shudder to think—”

“bro,” Sans interrupts, giving him what you interpret as a stern gaze. 

“No, it’s okay!” you say, trying to diffuse the tension. “Toby eats just fine, Papyrus. He just thinks bones are a special treat. I give them to him for being a good dog.”

“Oh! Well that makes sense!” Papyrus says. “But perhaps he should have a different treat! One that’s less...boney. Like spaghetti!”

You cock an eyebrow. “Spaghetti?”

“Yes, spaghetti!” Papyrus looks very excited all of a sudden. You’re a little concerned. “I am a master chef when it comes to those decadent noodles! I will prepare both of you a dish that you can never forget!”

“it’s best to say yes,” Sans says into your ear. You jump a little; you hadn't heard him come up behind you. “he’ll just keep bringing it up until you say yes.”

“Uh, yeah, I would love that, Papyrus!” you say. “I’m sure that your spaghetti is really good!”

Papyrus—you’re not kidding, here—literally strikes a pose when you say this. One hand on his hip, the other pointing off to the side in a fist, his scarf billowing behind him like a cape, he looks like a superhero. A skeleton superhero. The thought makes you crack a smile. 

“so hey, you live here too, right?” Sans asks you, drawing your attention away from Papyrus. You nod. “cool. my bro and i moved in a couple years ago. haven’t really seen ya before.”

“Oh, I only moved in a month ago,” you say. “I used to live in an apartment complex a few miles away from here. This place is a lot nicer, though. I was on the ground floor at my other place.”

“is that bad?”

You nod. “Yeah. Well, maybe? Sometimes? Ground floor apartments are usually the ones that get broken into the most. They’re cheaper too, though.”

Sans nods, taking in the information. “good to know. what floor are you on here?”

“The fifth,” you say. “It’s no fun for Toby because he can’t do stairs, you know? His legs are too short. So we have to take the elevator to get down. And the poor guy  _ hates  _ the elevator. Grates, too. I think he just doesn't like to stand on things that are hollow underneath, if that makes sense.”

“yeah, sure,” Sans says. “papyrus ‘n i are on the third floor. ‘s a good place. nice neighbors, quiet.”

You can do nothing but nod, cringing to yourself at how awkward this feels. But what did you expect, you tell yourself. You just met these guys. Of course it’s going to be awkward. 

“Human?” You turn to face Papyrus when you hear his voice. You’re not sure how you feel about him calling you “human” instead of using your name, but you make no move to correct him. “Do you think there’s a fire inside the building?”

Your face scrunched up as you squint to try and see any signs of smoke coming from the building. Still nothing. 

“I don’t think so, actually,” you say. 

“Then why did the loud beeping noise wake me up? I was having a good dream, too!”

“The fire alarm? Well, it could have gone off if someone was burning candles, or if someone burned the food they were cooking. Or it might just be a faulty alarm,” you say. “We just have to wait and see what the firefighters say.”

A look of awe comes over Papyrus’ face. “Fire...fighters? There are humans that do battle with fire? What a noble occupation!”

You stifle a giggle. “Yeah, they’re pretty well respected! They don't just fight fires, either. Sometimes they help people get their cats out of trees or other cool stuff.”

Papyrus looks starstruck. “I think...I want to be a firefighter! What a perfect career for someone as great as I am!”

“you’d be great at it, bro,” Sans says. 

You’re starting to really regret not bringing Toby’s leash out here. Carrying a fifteen pound weight in your arms would be tiresome enough even if it  _ didn't  _ try to wiggle out of your grasp at every possible moment. You eye the ground, and let out a sigh when you see it’s pretty wet from the rain. Oh well. 

You plop down in the grass and wrap a finger around Toby’s collar, keeping him close to you without tiring out your arms. The two skeletons look down at you in confusion. 

“Human, what are you doing on the ground?”

“My arms are tired from holding Toby,” you say, gesturing to your dog who is now trying to attack Papyrus’ leg again. “This was the best way I could think of to keep hold of him.”

“Well why didn't you just say you were tired? I am happy to help you out!” Before you can blink, Papyrus has scooped up your dog and is now holding him in his arms. You scramble up, ready to save Papyrus from the horror that is Toby when irritated but…

Toby is...docile? He isn’t freaking out or trying to bite Papyrus, like you thought he would. No, he looks like he’s snuggling into Papyrus’ bony arms. This is, by far, the strangest sight you’ve ever seen. 

“paps has a way with animals,” Sans says. “they love him. especially dogs, but that’s probably because of the bones.”

You nod, remembering the whole reason you’re talking to him in the first place. “It’s magic.”

“nah, not really.” Sans has a shit-eating grin on his face and you feel like slapping your hand on your forehead.

“God, I keep forgetting magic’s real!” you say. Seeing the incredulous look on his face, you explain. “Okay, I don’t really, but it just sort of exists as background knowledge? Gah, I don’t know, stop looking at me like that! Sorry!”

Sans’ shoulders are shaking in silent laughter. “hey pal, calm down. it’s fine. just caught me off guard, is all. most humans, they’re so focused on the fact that monsters can do magic.”

“I’ve noticed,” you say. And you have. In the three years since monsters have been up on the surface, there have been countless news stories run about them and their abilities. It was especially crazy for the first year after they emerged; you remember seeing a montage on YouTube of all the times the word “monster” was said on the major news stations on a single day. The video was nearly ten minutes of reporters, news analysts, and even weathermen saying just that word. And you’ve seen the headlines for probably hundreds of articles that try to explain the concept of monster magic. After reading a few, they all start to sound the same. 

According to these articles, everyone, human or monster, has a soul. And it’s something tangible, too. Not the kind the Catholic Church wants to save. Human souls come in a rainbow of colors, while apparently all monster souls are white, devoid of any pigment. It’s been hypothesized that this has something to do with why monsters can use magic while humans can’t. 

Soul research is such a big deal these days that Friedman University is trying to start a degree program for it. Some days, you wish the monsters had come up to the surface before you went through college, because you think it would be cool to study souls. But at the end of the day, you can’t imagine studying anything other than chemistry. 

Your train of thought is interrupted by the noise of a fireman speaking through a megaphone. “Everything’s alright guys, it was a false alarm.” A groan rises up in the crowd. “Yeah, I know, you’re mad that you had to come and stand out here in the cold for nothing. But you guys did a great job! If this were a real fire, everyone would have been okay! So you can pat yourselves on the back for that, and more importantly, head back inside. 

“Ugh, thank God,” you say, reaching out for Toby.

“Oh, hold on, human!” Papyrus exclaims. “I must have your phone number! Otherwise I would have to call every number individually until I found yours.”

“Well we can’t have that,” you reply dryly. 

“My phone is right here,” he says, thrusting out one of his hips. Sure enough, you see a phone poking out of...whatever it is that Papyrus is wearing. “Put your number into my contacts so I can invite you over for spaghetti!”

Unsure if Papyrus remembers your name, you enter your contact information as  **Cate (Human With Dog)** . Satisfied, you text yourself so you can have Papyrus’ number too and slide the phone back in his pocket. He hands Toby back to you in response. 

“Hey, it was really great meeting both of you,” you say as you turn to head back to your apartment. “I’ll see you around?”

“Yes, for spaghetti!”

“see ya around, pal.”

Smiling to yourself, you turn away from your new acquaintances and get into one of the now safe to use elevators. As you get up to your apartment and collapse on your bed, you keep replaying the events of the last hour in your head. For some reason, there’s a part of you that screams that tonight was the start of something big. As you drift off to sleep, you wonder what this could be.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just think about it. Papyrus as a firefighter.
> 
> See you guys tomorrow!


	3. Day in the Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta make this quick because I'm going over to my friend's house today!
> 
> We're finally going to see Civil War.

You don’t see either Sans or Papyrus for a few days. Friday at work is fairly hectic and you don't get home for a while, so over the weekend you decide to hole up in your apartment and take it easy. Papyrus texts you a few times, and the messages never fail to make you smile. But you still don’t see either of them. Not until Monday. 

It’s a normal day in the lab for you. That is, you make sure nothing explodes while one of Dr. Nelson’s TAs walks a group of Chem 103 students through the process of reverse osmosis. How students can make something explode when all they’re dealing with is salty water and dialysis bags, you’re not sure. But if it happens, you’ll be sure to put a stop to it.

Your thoughts are drifting far away from this cramped lab when the TA calls your name. Shaken out of your stupor, you look at her, an apologetic smile on your face. 

“Hey Cate, welcome back to the world of the living.” Jenny is nothing if not forthcoming. “Can you go to the Physics department office and pick up some more dialysis bags? I’d go but I have to be here legally.”

You nod. “Yeah, sure.” Maybe the short walk will keep you alert. You scoot down the artificially lit hallway that runs between the chemistry labs until you come to the stairs in the middle of the main science building. Heading up two floors you find yourself on the floor with all the department offices. You usually stick around the Chemistry side of things, occasionally venturing into Biology if you’re feeling adventurous. But Physics is a new one for you. You’re not really sure what to expect.

When you knock on the door, a familiar voice answers. “who’s there?”

You decide to play along, coming up with the first knock-knock joke you can think of. “Wooden shoe.”

“wooden shoe who?”

“Wouldn’t you like to let me in?”

A chuckle resounds from behind the door and it swings open to reveal Sans, decked out in a lab coat, standing behind it. “nice one.”

“Hey Sans! I didn’t know you work here!” you say.

“sure do. almost two years now.”

A memory from what feels like forever ago surfaces in your mind; Friedman University was the first private college to hire monsters in a teaching and research position. That was...right around two years ago.

“So you’re a Physics guy, huh?” you say, glancing pointedly at his lab coat.

“yup. i specialize in quantum mechanics.”

“Jeez. And here I am, thinking I’m oh so smart with my degree in Chemistry.”

Sans shifts his weight, looking at you with the tiny pinpricks of light that make up his pupils. How does he...never mind. Not important. “hey, chem’s pretty cool. you could even say it’s  _ electrifying. _ ”

Your mouth twitches. “Yeah. Totally. Anyway, I was coming over here to get some extra dialysis bags?”

Sans nods and walks over to a closet, opening it up and ruffling through the shelves. “doing osmosis stuff?” 

“Yeah,” you say. “The kids all think it's really cool. I miss being that captivated, you know? Now I can change copper into ten different forms, then back to copper, and I hardly bat an eye.”

“well you've been doing this for...how long have you been workin’ here?”

“Seven years come June.”

When Sans comes out from the closet, he has an incredulous look on his face. “that long? if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-eight,” you say. “Dr. Nelson offered me a job before I graduated from here, when I was still taking classes for my degree. It was the best I could hope for at the time, so I took her up on it.” You can’t help but feel that you’re sharing way too much to someone who’s basically a stranger. But then again, Sans doesn't really feel like a stranger. You may have only just met him, but he feels like someone you could be lifelong friends with. 

“I should head back,” you say after Sans hands you the container of dialysis bags. “It was nice talking to you again, though. Sorry if I over-shared.”

He waves you off. “it’s fine. but hey. if you’re not doing anything at lunch time, how about eating with me? i can tell you more of my hilarious jokes.”

“Are they all as horrible as the pun you told me when I first got in here?”

He looks mildly offended. “i’ll have you know that puns are the highest form of humor.”

“Sure, Shakespeare,” you tease. “But yeah. I’d like that. See you at lunch?”

“see you at lunch.”

* * *

 

Friedman has a pretty decent cafeteria, you think as you move through the food lines. You eventually settle on just a burger and fries. You’re starting to wonder if you should just take your food to the Physics office and see if Sans is there when you see him out of the corner of your eye, sitting at a booth. You head over to him, and see that he has the same food you do, only his is covered in an ungodly amount of ketchup. The bun would get so soggy, you just don’t understand why someone would put themself through that. 

“something  _ ketchup  _ your eye?” Sans asks. Your eyes shoot up to meet his pinpricks, and you realize you’ve been staring. 

“Oh shit, sorry,” you say, sitting down before you can embarrass yourself further. “I’ve just never seen anyone put so much ketchup on their food before.”

Sans just grins back at you. “what can i say? the flavor really  _ condiments  _ these fries.”

“Do you always use an ungodly amount of puns, or am I just that lucky?”

“yes.”

You roll your eyes, and take a bite out of your burger. It’s okay, as far as burgers go. A little dry.

“so who takes care of toby when you’re at work?”

Hmm. Weird segue, but whatever. “He’s pretty well trained, actually. He kind of has to be. When you live in an apartment building you can’t just let your dog out in the backyard to do his business, you know? I have to take him on three walks a day, pretty much. But we both get our exercise, so that’s good.”

He nods. “what kind of breed is he, anyway? i couldn’t figure it out the other night.”

“That’s because he’s a mutt,” you say. “I got him from my friend Ashley. Her family breeds Jack Russell terriers, and one time, one of the girls got out. They got her back in a couple days, but by then she was already pregnant by some stray. So the litter that came out was a bunch of mutts, completely useless to Ashley’s family. I got Toby basically for free because of that. I think he’s part Chihuahua? You can see it in his face.”

“humans are weird,” Sans says. “you’re telling me dogs are useless when they’re not purebred?”

“To some people, yeah. You can’t show a dog if they’re a mutt. But personally, I don’t get it. A dog’s a dog. They’re all cute to me.”

He smirks. “even when they bite people’s legs?”

“That was  _ one time!”  _ you exclaim, throwing a fry at him. It doesn’t even reach his plate. “Besides what would you expect? Like I told you guys that night, Toby thinks bones are treats. He didn’t mean anything by it.”

“i know, i know,” Sans says. “that was pretty funny though. papyrus and i were just hanging out and all of a sudden this little dog shows up and just chomps down on his leg.”

“Yeah, hilarious,” you say dryly. “Now imagine being me. I’m freaking out because my dog is going who knows where, and then I find him trying to eat a living, walking, talking skeleton! I was so embarrassed, oh my god.”

“i think i got that impression,” he replies. You stick your tongue out at him.

The two of you talk for a few minutes until you hear someone calling your name from behind you. You whip your head around to see Ashley, of all people, coming over to your table.

“You weren’t in the chem department like you usually are,” she says. Then, her eyes rest on Sans across the table. “Oh, am I interrupting something?” 

“nah, we’re just talking.” At his words, Ashley squeezes in next to you. 

“Hey there, I’m Ashley. I work in the biology department and I’m this loser’s”—here she points to you—”closest thing to a friend.” She holds out her hand.

Sans takes it and they exchange what looks like a firm handshake. “hey. name’s sans. i work in physics.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “Sans? As in friends-with-Alphys Sans?”

“the very one,” he says.

“That’s cool! I work with Alphys. Well, sort of? I talk to her a lot, anyway. She’s been trying really hard to get that soul research program going. She said you’d be a great teacher if it ever gets off the ground.”

“she did, did she?” Is he...sweating? Can skeletons sweat? For that matter, how do skeletons eat? You’ve been sitting here with Sans for at least ten minutes and you haven’t seen him take a bite of his food, and yet there are definitely chunks of burger missing. That’s a question for another time.

“Hey Cate, how’s Toby doing?” Ashley asks. “I haven’t been by your new place yet. How’s the elevator treating him?”

“He hates it,” you say. “But you’ve seen his tiny little legs. Poor guy can’t use stairs. You need to come over and see him sometime. He loves seeing you.”

“would you say he’s  _ bonely?”  _

You groan loudly, and rub your temple with your fingers. “I said I was sorry! When are you going to let that go?”

Ashley leans in towards Sans. “This sounds like a story I need to hear. Do tell.”

“so the other night the fire alarm goes off right? so my brother and i, we’re standing on the grass, minding our own business, when all of a sudden a little white dog comes up and starts chewing on my brother’s leg!”

Your once trusted friend howls with laughter. “Oh my god, that’s  _ hilarious.  _ That is  _ such  _ a Toby thing to do. What happened next? Did Cate go all red? She does that when she’s embarrassed.”

“Ashley, stop!” 

“Look, she’s doing it right now! Aw, sweetie, you’re blushing all the way down to your chest!”

You lay your head down on the table and cover it up with your arms. “You’re mean,” you say, your voice a little muffled. “Sans, she’s being mean to me.”

“i wanna hear more about how cate gets all red.”

“That’s it, I’m leaving,” you say, getting up and sliding out the other side of the booth. “I hate you both. Never contact me again.”

At least they have the grace to watch you walk away before they launch back into their conversation. 

“okay seriously. tell me more embarrassing stories about cate.”

“I have a feeling we’re going to be great friends.”

* * *

 

When you finally make it home after an especially long Monday, all you want to do is collapse on your bed. But, of course, the Universe has other plans for you. 

“Human! Hello!” You’re two feet from the elevator when you hear an unmistakeable voice behind you. Turning around, you see Papyrus standing before you.

“Oh, hi Papyrus,” you say, trying to sound more awake than you feel. “How’s it going?”

“Good! Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?”

You rack your brain for a few seconds. “Um, no?”

“Perfect! Then you can bring the Fearsome Toby over to my apartment and I can make the both of you spaghetti finally!”

You almost entertain the idea of saying no when you look at Papyrus’ pleading face. How could you ever refuse a face like that?

“Sure, Papyrus. I’d love to.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, guys!
> 
> Come bother me at my [tumblr](http://rosesandspades713.tumblr.com/) and ask me questions about the fic!


	4. The Glitter is Necessary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late! Didn't have access to the computer until now. 
> 
> Also, since Toby is based on an actual, real live dog (also named Toby), [here's](http://rosesandspades713.tumblr.com/post/145133891071/my-friend-has-a-good-dog) a couple reference pictures of him!

You have never seen a skeleton look so excited before. 

“Oh yes! This is perfect! I, the Great Papyrus, will prepare the most magnificent meal you have ever laid eyes on! You and your dog will have no choice but to love it!”

You can’t help but smile at his enthusiasm, “I know it’ll be great! But I have to change and then take Toby outside to use the bathroom, so just tell me your apartment number so we can come over when we’re ready. That sound okay?”

“It sounds wonderful! My spaghetti and I await you with bated breath in apartment number 305!” With that, he steps into the elevator and you watch as the doors close in front of him. 

Wait, why hadn’t you just taken the elevator up with him? Now you have to wait for the other one to come down. Great going, Cate.

When you finally get inside your apartment, Toby comes over to you, looking up at you expectantly. 

“Hey buddy,” you say, leaning down to scratch him behind the ears. “I gotta get changed and then we can go outside, okay? Then I guess we’re having dinner with a skeleton. You know, the one you tried to eat the other night? Let’s not make a repeat of that, okay?”

Some people might think it strange that you talk to your dog like he’s a person. But honestly, if you weren’t talking to him, you’d be talking to yourself. Living alone can get lonely sometimes. It’s good to have someone to talk to, even if that someone is a dog that can’t talk back. 

Toby does his business outside rather quickly, which you’re glad for. It’s still drizzling outside and as much as you love the rain, you’re starting to miss the blue of the sky and the warmth of the sun. Oh well. Summer isn’t too far away. You’ll have  _ plenty  _ of sun then. 

Once he’s finished, you head back inside the apartment building, drag Toby into the elevator, and go up to the third floor. The little buzzer dings, the doors open, and you walk out into a hallway that looks very similar to yours. Scanning the door numbers, you find room 305, take a breath, and knock.

The door swings open almost immediately, revealing Papyrus in an apron and chef hat. It’s quite a sight to see. 

“Ah, hello human! And Toby! I have just started the noodles so they will be nice and fresh for us when we eat! Come in!”

You do as he says, and shut the door behind you. “Hey Papyrus, is it alright if I take Toby off his leash? He’s well-trained, he won’t get into anything.”

“That is fine!” Papyrus calls back from the kitchen. You unclip Toby’s leash and watch as he curls up in a small space of carpet. He’s probably going to take a nap. Jerk. 

You head into the kitchen so you can talk some more with Papyrus, who’s humming a tune you don’t recognize as he attends to his meal.

“Sans not home yet?” you ask, noticing his absence. “We work at the same place, you know.”

“You work at the university too?” Papyrus says, incredulous. “What an amazing coincidence! But no, Sans is usually home fairly late. He almost never gets to have my cooking, it’s quite sad.”

Your brow furrows. “Aw, that’s too bad. I bet he’s working really hard, though.”

Papyrus lets out a hearty laugh. “Sans? Working hard? Don’t be silly, dear human. Sans is the biggest lazybones I have ever met.”

“Oh.” You can see how Sans might be that way, but that wasn’t the impression you were getting at work today. Maybe you’re just bad at perceiving laziness. “Hey, um, Papyrus? You don’t have to call me ‘human’ all the time. I mean, my name is Cate.”

He pauses in his stirring. “But-but I call all my human friends ‘human’! It’s a magnificent thing to be called!”

Great going Cate, now you’ve gone and made him feel bad. “Oh Papyrus, I’m sorry. I  _ do  _ like being called ‘human’, but I have another nickname. Cate is, technically, a nickname.”

“It is? But that’s what you introduced yourself as.”

“I know,” you say. “I like being called Cate better than my birth name, you know? It just fits me better.”

“Well, what’s your birth name?”

You let out a sigh. “Promise you won’t tell anyone? I don’t really like it when people call me by my birth name.”

“Promise!”

“It’s Catherine,” you say. 

Papyrus seems to ponder this for a moment. “You’re right. Cate suits you much better than Catherine. Alright, I will call you Cate from now on!”

You smile. “Great. Thanks, Papyrus.”

* * *

 

When Papyrus announces that dinner is ready, it suddenly hits you that, well, Toby’s a dog. He can’t exactly eat spaghetti. Papyrus is, understandably, confused and upset by this, but is pacified when you say you’ll go get some of Toby’s regular food, which Papyrus can put some spaghetti sauce on top of. That’s fine for dogs, right? Right. 

You leave Toby with him as you go upstairs, but you’re back before anything bad could happen. Toby’s a good dog. He’ll listen to Papyrus. Or he’ll try to chew through his legs. Hopefully not the second part. 

When you get back, Papyrus appears to be holding a conversation with your dog about the merits of different types of spaghetti. And Toby appears to be paying attention. He’s sitting, looking up at Papyrus with his head cocked to the side. 

“You guys didn’t have  _ too  _ much fun while I was gone, did you?” you say, setting the Ziploc bag full of Toby’s food on the counter. Your dog turns at the noise, and skitters towards you his paws bouncing in anticipation. 

“I was just explaining the finer points of spaghetti cuisine!” Papyrus says. “Toby is a very good listener!”

You nod, giving your dog a few head pats. “That pasta’s smelling really good, Papyrus. About time to eat?”

“Yes, I just need to add the glitter!” He dashes back into the kitchen, and you smile fondly after him. Until what he just said registers in your brain. 

_ Did he just say glitter? _

* * *

 

Yes, Cate. He did indeed say glitter. Your spaghetti is practically covered in the stuff. You’re just glad you managed to keep the glitter off of Toby’s food. You’re taking a risk just letting him have the sauce. No need to add tiny bits of shiny plastic to the mix. 

You want to say you’re not very hungry and to try and get away with only a few bites, but your stomach keeps growling, and Papyrus is looking at you with an expectant smile on his face. You  _ really  _ don’t want to disappoint him. 

So you take a bite. Then another one. Then another one. The plastic glitter kind of ruins it for you, but you have a feeling that the spaghetti wouldn’t be half bad without it. Toby seems to really like the sauce, at any rate. He’s already done with his food and is sitting underneath the table, waiting for any food to fall. 

“So what do you think, hu-Cate?” Papyrus asks, correcting himself at the last second. You send him a soft smile. 

“It’s really good, Papyrus,” you say. “Maybe next time, uh, you lay off the glitter a little bit? The, uh, the shininess really distracts from the magnificence of your cooking.”

He takes your criticism in stride, if he even listens to it at all. You’re not sure. But once the plates are cleared (yours still with half a plate of spaghetti left), Papyrus asks if you’d like to watch one of his favorite movies from the Underground. You agree, because why not? You’ve never seen a movie from the Underground before. Papyrus pops it in the movie player, and the two of you relax on the couch as  _ Mettaton the Movie  _ plays.

After the movie credits roll, you understand why you have never seen an Underground movie before. 

That was the worst goddamn movie you’ve ever seen. The acting was bad, the writing was awful, and the camera work made you want to puke. But you can tell that Papyrus loves this movie, so for the second time tonight, you put on a brave face. 

“I really liked that movie,” you say. “Especially the part where Mettaton had to engage in a dance battle to win the affections of his beloved.”

Papyrus looks ecstatic. “Then you will be happy to know that this is only the first of twenty-three Mettaton movies!”

You’re spared from dignifying this terrible news with an answer when the front door of the apartment opens, revealing Sans. He’s changed out of his lab coat and into basketball shorts and a blue hoodie. And are those...pink slippers? Come to think of it, that’s the exact same outfit he was wearing the other night. Papyrus only ever seems to wear the same clothes as well. Do skeletons just not get their clothes dirty?

“Ah, Sans, you’re finally home!” Papyrus says. “Cate and Toby were here for spaghetti, and we just finished the first Mettaton movie! Cate loved it.”

Sans’ pinpricks flick over to you, and you know he recognizes the look of panic in your face because he says, “that’s awesome, paps. hey cate, can i talk to you for a second?”

You stand up immediately, following him into the kitchen. 

“so how was the spaghetti?” he asks once you’re out of earshot of Papyrus, voice coming out in a teasing lilt. “bet you’re super full, huh? you ate a lot of it?”

“I could barely stomach half the plate,” you whisper. “He put  _ glitter  _ on it, Sans! Glitter!”

Sans just smiles. “yeah, i know. thanks for trying it, though. and thanks for coming over and hanging out with him. i can tell he had a good time.”

“Well so did I, other than dinner,” you say. “Papyrus is a really cool guy.”

“the coolest.” Sans pauses for a second, as if he’s contemplating something. “hey. so since you’ve been so cool with paps, and because i know you’re still hungry, how about coming with me to grillby’s? i know the owner, i can get you the food for free.”

“Really? I don’t want to impose, I mean, you just got home, and-”

He waves you off. “i do this every night after pap goes to bed. tell you what, you can go back to your apartment, i’ll put paps to bed, and then we’ll get you some  _ real  _ food. how does that sound?”

Your stomach grumbles, and that’s all the answer Sans needs.

“alright, sounds like we’re going,” he says. “what’s your apartment number?”

“507,” you reply. “Are you sure about this, Sans?”

He tilts his head to the side a little. “why? you don’t wanna be seen out with a monster?”

“What? No, no, no,” you say, recovering. “No, I just feel like I’d be a bother.”

“well i can tell that you won’t be. see ya in a few, cate.”

He walks out of the kitchen and you follow him, a little bewildered. Grabbing Toby’s leash from by the door, you clip it onto his collar and turn to say goodbye to Papyrus.

“Thank you so much for dinner!” you say, as if you aren’t about to have a second dinner with Sans. “Toby and I really appreciate it!”

“I am glad you had a good time!” he replies. “You and Toby are welcome back any time!”

“I’ll hold you to that,” you say as you walk out the door, shutting it behind you. You make a trip downstairs so Toby can do his business, and then you go back up to your apartment, with plans to freshen up a bit before your late night dinner with Sans. 

You wonder what this Grillby’s place will be like. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Papyrus. Your spaghetti would be so great, if you just...


	5. Good Friends and Good Food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy folks, here's today's chapter!

You’re nearly through reapplying your usual makeup when there’s a buzz from your phone. Looking at it, you don’t recognize the number, but you’re pretty sure you know who the message is from. 

**knock knock**

You glance toward the door and hurriedly apply the rest of your makeup, worried he’s already here.

**Who’s there?**

The response is immediate. 

**canoe**

**Canoe who?**

**canoe open the door for me**

Yep. Most definitely Sans. You slip your phone into your purse, give Toby a pat, and open the door to reveal Sans standing before you.

“hey,” he says. “got your number from papyrus. took a while before he wanted to go to bed, he kept talking about how fun it was hanging out with you.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” you say, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door behind you. “Tell him I had an awesome time too, would you?”

“of course.” He glances around inside your apartment before looking back at you. “ready to go?”

You nod. “Yeah, just let me lock up.”

He steps back, and you join him, turning the lock behind you before shutting the door. You test it, just to make sure. Yep, locked up nice and tight. 

“So how far away is Grillby’s?” you ask as he leads you to the elevator. 

“depends. wanna take a shortcut?” He gives you a sideways glance. “that is, if you think you’re up for it.”

You know a challenge when you see one. And you’re never one to back down from a challenge. 

“Hell yeah I’m up for it,” you say. “Hit me with your best shot.”

“alright.” The doors of the elevator open, and the two of you head inside. As the doors close, you feel a bony arm wrap around your waist and pull you close. You let out a small squeak as you feel his (oddly warm) body press against yours. 

“don't let go,” he says, and that’s the only warning you get before you’re falling backwards into nothingness over the edge of a cliff you didn’t know was there. You want to scream, but you can’t. The nothingness around you sucks up all the sound, all the light, everything. It feels like you’re going to fall through this blackness forever until suddenly, you’re standing upright in an alley, the unmistakeable sounds of the city around you. 

Your legs are a little weak, but you’re held up by the supportive arm around your waist. Looking over at Sans, you see that you must have instinctively clung to him during your little trip, because your arms are flung around his neck. You back off immediately, and almost fall down because of it. Sans grabs your wrist before you can.

“hey, it’s okay, i got you,” he says, voice soft. You manage to stabilize yourself, and your stomach no longer feels like it’s trying to leap out of your throat. “you did better than i thought for your first trip through the void.” Sans sounds impressed. “you’ll feel better in a minute.”

“Jesus, what  _ was  _ that?” you say, leaning up against the wall of the alley. “It was so... _ empty _ .”

“that was the void,” Sans says, as if explaining a simple fact. “try not to think about it too much, you’ll give yourself a headache. basically, it’s the space between spaces. i know how to navigate through it, so i can cut through those spaces and get somewhere faster.”

You think you understand. “So, a shortcut?” 

He nods. “exactly. now come on. there’s a couple burgers inside grillby’s with our names on ‘em.”

Sans leads you out of the alley and down the street a block or two before stopping in front of a small, nondescript building. Looking up, you see the sign reads  _ Grillby’s.   _ Sans opens the door and holds it for you, motioning for you to go inside. You do, and he follows you, a bell jangling above your heads as the door closes. The noise catches the attention of everyone in the place, and you see mostly monsters, but a few humans sitting in booths and up at the bar. 

“Sans!” comes a chorus of voices. He must really come here a lot, if everyone knows him.

“hey everybody,” he says. He gestures to you. “this is my friend cate.”

You hear some people say hi to you, and you also hear a shrill noise you recognize as a wolf-whistle. Your face feels like it’s on fire.

“ah, don’t mind ‘em,” Sans says quietly. He must have seen your face. “they only ever do that when they see a pretty girl.”

You don’t think it’s physically possible for your face to be any redder. Sans walks up to the bar and you follow him, waving politely to the people you pass. Luckily for you, most of them seen to have gone back to their own drinks and conversations. Sans hops up on a barstool and pats the one next to him, which you take as your own seat. 

“wait til’ you meet the bartender,” Sans says. “he’s a little  _ hot  _ under the collar, but i think you can handle him.”

His words make you nervous until who must be the bartender steps out from a door in the back of the bar. Suddenly Sans’ choice of words makes sense. The bartender is literally on fire. In fact, you don’t think he’s _on_ fire. You’re pretty sure he’s _made_ of fire. He walks over to you and Sans, and you assume he’s looking down at you over the glasses perched on his face. Hard to tell when he has no eyes to speak of.

“cate, this is grillby, old friend from underground. grillbz, this is cate. she lives in the same building as paps ‘n i.”

“...Nice to meet you.” Grillby’s voice is deep, reminding you for some reason of the embers of a dying fire. It’s a comforting voice, and you feel that if you listened to it long enough, you could just fall asleep. 

“It’s nice to meet you too,” you say. You move to offer your hand, but then you freeze. Can you burn yourself on him?

“grillbz keeps his fire pretty well contained,” Sans says, once again reading your mind. “he won’t burn ya. unless you want him to.”

You laugh nervously, but extend your hand to the bartender anyway. He shakes it, and you feel a pleasant warmth run up your arm. 

Sans makes a noise like he’s clearing his throat. “anyway, grillbz, how about a double order of burg? cate was treated to pap’s special spaghetti tonight and i think she needs a palate cleanser.”

You nod. “Papyrus is great, but I like my spaghetti without glitter, you know?”

Grillby goes back into the room he came from to make your burgers, and you’re left alone at the bar with Sans. 

“You know Sans, you really didn't have to get me a second dinner. I would have been fine.”

He just looks at you. “like i said before. you’ve been real nice to papyrus, and i can’t say the same about most humans. they just don't...get him. they try to take advantage of how nice he is, or try to hurt him in some way.”

“God, that’s awful!” you say. “Papyrus is such a sweetheart! Why would anyone ever want to be mean to him?”

Sans shrugs. “beats me. but all i know is that you’re not one of those humans. which makes you a-ok in my book. and those are the kind of people i take out to get burgers.”

You’re both silent for a few seconds, and you decide to change the subject. “So Grillby seems like a nice guy. Not at all the  _ hothead  _ you warned me about.”

At least he has the decency to let out a half-hearted chuckle. “yeah, grillbz is a pretty chill guy. ironic, given his, well, everything. let me open up a tab here years ago, and i haven’t paid it off yet. pretty sure i’m never going to. maybe for his birthday one year. or if he ever retires.”

You cock an eyebrow. “So he literally gives you food and drinks and stuff for free?”

“pretty much? i mean, i make great jokes in return, so it’s basically a win-win situation. i help draw the crowds.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” you say in a teasing manner. “Because that’s why people come to a bar. To here some guy try and be funny.”

He places his hand against his chest in mock offense. “how dare you? puns are the highest form of humor and i will not be slandered in this way.”

You’re interrupted from replying by the door to the back opening and Grillby coming out, carrying your food. He places it in front of you, and the smell alone gives you the urge to salivate.

“Oh, this looks  _ heavenly,”  _ you intone, looking up at the bartender. “Thanks, Grillby.”

He nods in your direction before moving farther down the bar to serve some other customers. You pick up the burger, lick your lips in anticipation, and take a bite. 

In the next few moments, you have to check to make sure you’re still alive. Because you’re pretty sure you died and went straight to heaven. The burger is literal perfection and, much like when you shook Grillby’s hand, you feel a pleasant warming sensation throughout your entire body.

“like it?” Sans asks. You let out a quiet moan in response, making him laugh. “yeah, that’s grillbz for ya. cooks his burgers with his own special brand of fire magic, making them better than any other burger both in the underground and on the surface.”

“There’s magic in this?” No wonder you feel so light, so happy. You’ve never had monster food before, but you’ve heard that it’s supposed to be crazy good for you. It has a bunch of healing properties and, depending on how it’s made, can even change your mood. You’ve always wanted to try some, and now that you have, you don’t think you can look at a normal burger the same way.

“heh, i’m glad you like it,” Sans says. “i’ve got this friend—toriel’s her name—and she makes this butterscotch-cinnamon pie that’s the best thing you’ll ever taste. maybe you can meet her someday. the pie alone is worth it, let me tell you.”

You smile. “That sounds really nice, Sans. I’d love to meet her sometime. Where does she live?”

“oh, she lives in the capital,” he says. “paps and i used to live there too, until i got the job at the university. neither of us wanted to move so far away from her and a lot of our other friends, but we didn’t have much choice. back then, jobs that would hire monsters weren’t exactly easy to come by. i had to take the physics job. also, grillby’s is here. can’t live without that.”

“After that burger, I don’t think  _ I  _ can, either.” Your mind drifts back to what Sans just said. “Was it really that bad in the capital? I mean, usually big cities are pretty good at accepting diversity.”

He shakes his head. “it wasn’t as bad as i made it out to be. but there were still places that had the signs on them. the anti-monster signs. every time i saw one it was like a punch to the skull. all these humans, hating us for no reason when they were the ones who locked us up underground in the first place.”

Sans doesn’t look too good; he’s staring at the counter like it’s on fire, and his pupils are so dim they’re almost nonexistent. As a show of comfort, you lay your hand over his, giving it a squeeze. The bone is just a little bit malleable, which kind of weirds you out. Human bones aren’t nearly that soft.

The contact seems to break him out of whatever mental wall he has in front of him, and he shakes his head a little bit before meeting your gaze with a semi-sheepish smile. 

“sorry,” he says. “lost it a little bit, there.”

“Don’t worry about it,” you say. “Us humans can be pretty horrible. Even to members of our own race.”

“you’re not, though. i can tell. i could tell from the second i met you, cate. you have a good soul.”

You laugh. “How would you know?”

He looks sheepish again. “...that’s kinda my thing. seeing souls. well, not really seeing. more like...sensing. like what humans would call a sixth sense. i can look at a person and just tell what sort of person they are. and when you ran into us that night after the fire alarm went off, i could tell immediately that you were the kind of human i wouldn’t mind being friends with.”

You blush a little at the compliment. “Well Sans, I’d say you’re the kind of monster I wouldn’t mind hanging out with.”

“good thing we’re friends, huh?”

A smile comes unbidden to your face and it feels like you’ve taken another bite of that burger. “Yeah. Friends.”      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> papyrus protection squad 2k16
> 
> alternative title for this chapter: Sans is a Terrible Flirt and Everyone is Happy with This
> 
> See you guys tomorrow!


	6. New Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whew you guys I am WIPED
> 
> today was senior skip day at my school so some friends and I went downtown to hang out. It was really fun. But it made me really tired! So!
> 
> Here's today's chapter.

Your daily routine hardly changes over the next two weeks, but there are a few little shifts that seem to make all the difference.

Every morning you wake up, feed Toby, and take him downstairs. That hasn’t changed. What  _ has  _ changed, however, is that now you stop by Sans and Papyrus’ apartment on the way down. Papyrus and Toby love seeing each other, so every morning you invite Papyrus to come with on Toby’s morning walk. It’s just as fun for you, because now, instead of just talking out loud to your dog or walking in silence, you have someone else to talk to. 

After walking Toby to the park and back, you and Papyrus go your separate ways. You take Toby upstairs, make sure no food is lying around, and then leave to get your car from the apartment garage and drive to work.  

At work, you do whatever Dr. Nelson or one of her TAs wants you to do, pretty much, until around noon. Which is lunchtime. For lunch, you meet up with Sans and Ashley. Sometimes you stay in the cafeteria, but on occasion the three of you will take your lunches outside. A lot of students wave at Sans as they pass by, and he always waves back with a smile on his face.

After lunch is up you work some more until 4 or so, when you go home, feed Toby and take him out again, and relax for a while. You usually have dinner around six thirty, and then you and Toby hang out and watch TV for a while before you take him out one last time for good measure, and then read a little before going to bed, thinking about what to talk about with Papyrus the next morning.

As you settle into your slightly changed routine over these two weeks, you realize the biggest change is the one happening with yourself. You feel...happier, now that Sans and Papyrus are in your life. You’re not sure what it is. Maybe it’s the fact that, no matter how tired you are in the morning, seeing Papyrus always brightens you up. Maybe it’s the ridiculous puns Sans tells at lunch to try and get you to laugh (not that it works). Whatever it is, the changeup has made your life better, as sappy as that sounds. 

Another element is added to the mix on a Thursday, the seventh of April. In the morning at work, while you’re taking inventory in one of the Chemistry supply closets, you get a text from Ashley.

**hey! so I was thinking I should invite Alphys to lunch today. you know, the lizard monster who works in bio w/ me? she’s p quiet but I know you’ll like her**

You remember Ashley saying something about Alphys when she met Sans for the first time. 

**Yeah, sure! I love meeting new people**

So as lunch draws nearer, you wonder what this Alphys is like in person. Maybe she’s like Papyrus, boisterous and cheerful. Or maybe she’s like Sans, witty and clever.

* * *

 

It’s pretty safe to say that Alphys is none of those things.

She looks so nervous when she says hello to you, the poor thing. It’s all you can do to shake her hand and smile gently at her as you introduce yourself.

“O-oh! Cate! Papyrus told me about you! He said you really liked his spaghetti.”

You smile, glad to have made at least a tenuous connection with her. “Yeah, I would have liked it a lot better if it didn’t have glitter on it, you know? And if it wasn’t followed with a viewing of  _ Mettaton The Movie.  _ Which, don’t get me wrong, I liked. As much as a person can like over-the-top drama and excessive singing.”

Alphys giggles quietly at that. It’s one of the most adorable sounds you’ve ever heard. “Y-yeah, Mettaton can be a bit much. But he’s happy, and I’m happy for him.”

Ashley nudges you. “Alphys designed Mettaton’s body,” she says. 

You look back at Alphys, shocked. “Wow, really? That’s amazing!”

The scales on her face turn bright red. “Oh, t-thanks. It was nothing, really.”

You raise an eyebrow at her. “Nothing? Robot designers all over the world look at Mettaton’s design as the next great step forward! I mean, I know next to nothing about robots, but even I can tell that Mettaton’s body is some of the most advanced machinery on the planet.”

Alphys gets even redder, and hides her face behind her hands. 

“Good job, you broke the Alphys,” Ashley says dryly. Sans just laughs and pats your new friend on the back. 

“I just think you did a really good job,” you say quietly. “Sorry if I embarrassed you, Alphys.”

She finally looks up again, and smiles sheepishly. “It’s okay.”

After that, conversation manages to become normal again. You learn that Alphys is dating another monster named Undyne, and judging by the way her scales turn red at the mention of her, the relationship must be pretty serious. You also discover that she’s a huge fan of anime. When she hears that you've only seen a couple, she pours on the recommendations, which you make a point of writing down on a piece of paper. You really want to make friends with her, since she’s such good friends with Sans and Papyrus. Talking about some anime that she likes should be a good way to do that. 

At the end of lunch, you say goodbye, but not before you and Alphys trade numbers. You promise to text her as soon as you start watching some of the animes she recommended so the two of you can fangirl together. You’re really excited. In the span of two weeks, you’ve made three great new friends.

Getting back home from work that night, you settle in with Toby in front of the TV and turn on Netflix. 

“Alright buddy, let’s watch some Death Note…”

* * *

 

You get the opportunity to meet more of Sans and Papyrus’ friends that very weekend. Sans tells you at lunch on Friday that he told Toriel about you, and she's extended an invitation to come to her child Frisk’s twelfth birthday party. 

“Wait, did you say Frisk? As in the child ambassador Frisk? You  _ know  _ them?”

“know them? heh, i basically babysat ‘em through the whole underground. oh, but don’t tell the kid i said that. they like to think they did it all on their own.”

You’re a little conflicted about going to the birthday party. It’s not that you're worried about what Toriel and Frisk (and Undyne, she’ll be there too) will think of you, but you feel weird about coming to the birthday party of someone you don’t know. 

Sans notices this. “hey. don’t worry about it. tori’s only ever heard great things about you. she’d invite any human that got such a glowing review from me.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’ve been ‘reviewing’ me, huh?” He shrugs, gaze shifting to study the floor. “Well, how do I measure up?”

He looks back up at you. “you’re nearly perfect.”

Is it hot in here or are you blushing again? “And how can I improve?”

_ There’s  _ the shit-eating grin he usually wears. “by laughing at my jokes.”

You sigh wistfully, looking off into the distance. “Oh well. I suppose perfection can never be truly achieved.”

On Saturday morning, you take Toby out for a walk after breakfast and take him back upstairs, promising to be back in time to feed him dinner. 

“Stay out of trouble,” you warn. “I have no qualms about withholding treats.”

You take his silence as acceptance. 

Papyrus has a car apparently, as you find out when you and the brothers take a trip to the garage to leave. It’s a bright, shiny, red convertible, and your jaw nearly drops. You want to ask how they could afford it, but that would be rude. So instead you’re quiet and sit in the backseat. 

“To the capital, we go!” Papyrus cries once all three of you are buckled in. He zooms out of the parking lot and then you're off, hopefully to make some more friends. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will protect alphys always and forever i love her
> 
> Meeting a lot more of the cast next time! See you all then!


	7. Strike-Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today was my first real day of school in a week. It was...okay.
> 
> Anyway, here's today's chapter!

Apparently twelve year olds have their birthday parties at bowling alleys. 

“Bowl-o-Rama, huh?” you say as Papyrus pulls the convertible into an empty parking space. “I haven't been here in, jeez, eighteen years? Not since…” You trail off, mind going back to the last time you were at this building. It was your then-best friend’s birthday party, and you don’t remember much else. Then again, you haven't been in the capital at all since you graduated from Friedman. 

“frisk loves bowling,” Sans says, breaking you out of your thoughts. “and this is the only bowling alley in the capital that would serve monsters, tori told me.”

“Oh,” you muse softly as the two of you follow an excited Papyrus to the doors. Once you’re inside, you look to the right, and you can tell immediately where the party is. There’s quite a few monsters, all surrounding one human kid; Frisk. 

You recognize Alphys, who waves at you. You wave back, glad to see another familiar face. And from the way she’s holding hands with the tale fish monster next to her, you guess that’s she’s Undyne. A monster who looks a lot like a goat wearing a dress is standing next to Frisk, her paw resting on their shoulder. You’re pretty sure this is Toriel. There are other monsters here too, but you don’t recognize any of them. 

“Hello, you must be Cate!” the woman you believe to be Toriel says. “My name Is Toriel, and I am Frisk’s mother. We’ve heard so many good things about you from Sans, and Frisk insisted you be invited to their party as well! I hope this didn't inconvenience you in any way.”

You're a little taken aback by her politeness. But you respond in a calm manner. “Oh, no, it’s fine! I’m flattered you guys wanted to invite me.”

Frisk smiles at you, and raises their hands before making gestures with them. Oh. Sign language. You should have learned that when you had a chance. Instead, you bite your lip and look at Toriel for help.

“You don’t understand sign language, do you?” she asks knowingly. You nod, feeling embarrassed. “That’s alright, I will simply translate. Frisk said that anybody their uncle Sans won’t, ahem,  _ stop talking about _ , is someone that they really want to meet.”

By the look Frisk gives Toriel, you have a feeling that she censored their words a little bit. But the original intent is clear. You turn to Sans, a teasing grin on your face. “Oh, so you won’t stop talking about me, huh?”

“the kid’s over exaggerating,” he says with a straight face. He refuses to meet your eyes.  You shrug, and face Toriel and Frisk again. Frisk is winking at you. You wink back. 

“Well  _ I  _ heard about you from my Alphys,” says the fish monster, coming up to you and shaking your hand. Her grip is strong, like, really strong. “Name’s Undyne. Former head of the Royal Guard, current girlfriend to the smartest girl in the universe.”

“Nice to meet you, Undyne,” you say, putting as much power into your half of the handshake as you can. “I’m Cate, current friend of those two boneheads over there.”

In the milliseconds that pass between your words and the laughter coming from behind you, you realize your tragic, tragic mistake. 

Slamming your hand over your mouth, you turn around to see Sans practically doubled over in laughter, Papyrus looking at the scene with disdain. 

“h-holy, oh-oh man,” he says through the laughter that is shaking him to his core. “you claim to hate puns  _ so much,  _ and then you make one accidentally! oh jeez, you just made my day, cate.”

You just glare at him. “I blame you for this.”

A throat clears from somewhere behind you and you turn to see a small monster wearing a striped shirt. Strangely enough, they seem to have no arms. 

“Hi! I’m Monster Kid! I’m Frisk’s best friend.”

Wow. Monster Kid. What an ingenious name. 

“Hi there!” you say. “I’m Cate! It’s very nice to meet you.”

After that, the other monsters come and introduce themselves. You’re a little overwhelmed; you’ve never met so many people in such short a time. You also cannot help but notice that, other than the birthday kid themself, you're the only human here. You wonder if Frisk would rather hang out with monsters, or if other human kids think they’re weird. You hope it’s the former. Kids can be mean, but you’d like to think that in this case, they’re not. 

Once introductions are complete, everyone gets fitted for bowling shoes (you notice that some of the less human-sized monsters are fitted with special, custom-made shoes) and an attendant leads the group over to two lanes on the far end of the alley. The group splits up into two games, and you end up with Sans, Undyne, Alphys, and Papyrus. 

Your group decides to go alphabetically, so Alphys goes first. Her ball rolls slow, but she ends up knocking down six of the pins. She’s cheered on by Undyne, and on her second try she knocks down three more pins, giving herself a nine. You go next, and you knock eight down on your first roll. But your second roll goes into the gutter, leaving you with eight in all. 

The others go. Papyrus seems to take the “more is more” approach, his ball shooting down the lane with impressive speed. Sadly, this speed only manages to strike down a couple pins. Second roll, same thing. Sans, meanwhile, rolls a strike like nobody’s watching. You stick your tongue out at him. He winks back. Undyne, like Papyrus, seems to have a personal vendetta against the bowling pins. Her aim is little better though, and she ends up getting a spare. 

You all go back and forth for a while until the end of the game. Sans ends up winning, with you and Undyne tying for second. Alphys is close behind, and Papyrus finishes dead last. At least his aim started improving before the end?

The other group is finished as well, and Toriel announces that it’s time to eat. This gets everyone’s attention, and you all head into a party room on the side of the alley. There’s pizza in the middle of the table, and a cake that looks absolutely exquisite. 

Toriel tells everyone to dig in, and by gosh you do. The pizza is delicious, and it fills your belly nicely. Everyone in the party room makes short work of the pizza, and pretty soon all that’s left are the boxes. Then Toriel brings over the cake and plates,and leads you all in a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday”. Once that’s finished, she cuts a slice for everyone. Looks like it’s red velvet. Yum. 

Frisk starts eating their piece immediately, and you take that as your cue to start eating as well. After your first bite, you have to stop an impolite noise from leaving you. The cake is just  _ that  _ good.

“Did you make this cake, Toriel?” you ask. She nods, busy eating her own slice. “Well it’s fantastic! Best cake I’ve ever had, and I do mean  _ ever.” _

She swallows her bite and smiles gently at you. The warmth in her smile, it stirs something in you that you haven’t felt for a long time. “Thank you, Cate. It’s Frisk’s favorite, other than pie, but we already had that this week. 

Frisk signs something at her and you can piece together, by her laughter, that they’re wondering why that restriction needed to be put in place. You, personally, don’t see how any dessert in the Universe could be better than this one.

After the cake is eaten, it’s time for presents. You feel bad about not having anything to give to them, but you’re reassured that it’s fine. According to Toriel, your presence is present enough.So you simply sit back and watch as Frisk opens their gifts.

Your personal favorite gifts of theirs are a set of boxing gloves (Toriel gave Undyne a stern look after Frisk opened those) and a whoopie cushion from Sans. At first, you don’t understand why Frisk is so happy about it, until Sans explains it to you.

“when i met the kid, back underground, i asked ‘em to shake my hand. little did they know i was holding a whoopie cushion in it. their reaction was priceless.”

“That’s amazing,” you say to him. “You see this kid all by themself, and your first instinct is to prank them.”

He shrugs. “what can i say? that’s just the kinda guy i am.”

A few minutes after the presents are opened, the party begins to wind to a close. When you say goodbye to Frisk and thank them for inviting you, they give you a tight hug and exchange numbers with you. Toriel gives you her number as well, and you don’t stop smiling for several minutes. 

It’s a little weird. Going to a birthday party, eating food cooked by someone other than you, meeting a lot of new people. When you graduated from Friedman seven years ago, this isn’t what you expected would become of your life.

But here you are, driving back to your apartment in a red, shiny convertible with a couple skeletons in the front seat. You realize that you need to just accept the fact that your life isn’t what you thought it would be.

No, it’s a whole lot better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to go bowling more often. I miss it.


	8. Differences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man you guys, my motivation for schoolwork is crashing like crazy. One day left this week, and four next week. Then I'm done with high school forever.
> 
> Here's the chapter!

It’s a warm Saturday a week later when you wake up and look out your window to find splotches of pink and white along the city streets. It’s cherry blossom season. Finally. 

You haven’t gotten up this fast since the one time your alarm didn’t go off for work. Humming happily to yourself, you make some toast and shove it down your throat. You grab Toby’s leash and call for him, and he comes running. You like to think he’s just as excited to see the cherry blossoms as he is. 

As you do every morning, you make your way down two floors to Sans and Papyrus’ apartment. You can’t wait to see how Papyrus feels about the cherry blossoms. You hope he loves them just as much as you do. 

When you knock on the door, you expect it to swing open immediately. Papyrus usually awaits your and Toby’s arrival with bated breath. But today is different. You count ten breaths in and out before the door opens, and it’s definitely not Papyrus who opens it. 

“Oh, hi Sans,” you say, giving him a gentle smile. “Is Papyrus here?”

“wow cate, you sure know how to make a guy feel good,” he drawls. “kidding. but yeah. pap isn’t here this morning. he’s having a morning training session with undyne. and by morning, i mean all day. complete with a sleepover.”

You blink. “Oh. Jeez.” Papyrus has mentioned his training sessions with Undyne on your morning walks. But you had no idea they were this intense. “Well, Papyrus usually comes on Toby’s morning walk with me...do you want to come with us instead, Sans?” You’re not expecting him to say yes. From the impression you’ve gotten from Papyrus’ descriptions and from watching Sans yourself, you can’t see him going for a walk. 

“okay, sure.” Well. First time for everything. 

“Great!” you say. Toby starts tugging on his leash. “Uh, well, are you ready to go? ‘Cause I think if we stay here much longer, Toby’s going to do his business right in this hallway.”

He chuckles. “well we can’t have that, can we?” He steps out from the apartment and closes the door behind him. You notice he’s wearing those pink slippers again. 

The three of you get in the elevator and ride it down, you say good morning to Dex as you pass him in the lobby, and then you’re outside. The sun is shining, and you take a deep breath. Smells just like springtime. You love it. 

“so where do you and toby go on these walks of yours?” Sans asks as you set off. “pap said something about a park?”

You nod. “Yeah, there’s a little park a few blocks away. It should be really pretty this time of year, now that the cherry blossoms are blooming.”

“yeah, i noticed everything was a lot pinker today.”

“Cherry blossoms are my  _ favorite, _ ” you say. “I don’t really know why. I guess they’re just really pretty. And they smell fantastic.”

He nods thoughtfully. “i’ll have to take your word for it. don’t have the  _ nose  _ for it.”

You don’t dignify that with a response.

Toby starts tugging on the leash more and more, until finally you’re at the park. And gosh, if it isn’t just the prettiest picture. 

The pink is everywhere. Every cherry tree in the park is in bloom, and you can see bees buzzing around the ones closest to you. It makes you smile. And not only that, but below some of the trees are groups of other flowers; tulips and dandelions and a million other plants. You can’t keep the smile off your face. 

Toby doesn’t care about the scenery, he’s too busy finding his favorite tree. You let him tug you forward, too busy taking everything in. The smell, the sight, the sound of birds tittering, it feels like it strikes you right down to your core. 

Something shifts in the corner of your eye and you turn to see Sans. blatantly staring at you. 

“What?” you ask, a little defensively. 

“you really like this, huh?” he asks.

“I really do,” you say. “Why do you ask?”

“because your soul is glowing even brighter than usual. it’s fascinating.”

You look down at your chest, trying for a brief moment to see your soul. But you know it’s futile. Humans can’t see souls. 

“I wish I could see it,” you say wistfully. “From the way you talk about it, it sounds amazing.”

He takes a step closer to you. “i would show it to you if i could.”

“Yeah? Why can’t you?”

He stops his advance, and you notice he’s about a foot away from you. “because there are two ways to pull out a soul. combat and intimacy. and i’m pretty sure you don’t want to get into either of those in the middle of a city park.”

Yeesh. Combat sounds scary. And…”What kind of intimacy are we talking, here?”

He rubs the back of his neck. “the soulmate kind.”

“Oh. Well. That’s...something,” you say. Are you blushing? You are, goddammit. “I, uh, sorry I asked. That was probably really rude of me, wow.”

He waves you off. “nah, it’s fine. you didn’t know. and now you do. that’s part of the reason why all the human knowledge of souls comes directly from what monsters have told you guys. and why you didn’t know about them before we left the underground. we’re the only ones who can draw them out.”

“But you can see them without pulling them out?” you say. “Like how you can see that mine got brighter?”

“yeah. well, sorta. it’s mostly an aura around the person. not very much to go off of, but i’m pretty good at reading them.”

You shift your weight onto your other foot. “Is that why Alphys says you’d be good to have in the soul research program at Friedman? Because you can read those auras?”

“yeah, pretty much.” There’s a guarded inflection to his tone that hints to you that he isn’t telling you something. But it’s not your place to pry, so you leave it alone for now. “but anyway. those auras get stronger when a person’s soul brightens. that is, it, uh, gets happier. so your soul feels happier when you’re out in nature like this.”

“Makes sense,” you say. “I’ve always been kind of an outdoors person. That’s part of the reason I don’t mind taking Toby out for walks multiple times a day. I get to see the scenery.”

“this  _ is  _ a pretty nice park,” Sans says. “i can understand why someone’s soul would brighten out here, even if they  _ weren’t  _ an outdoors person.”

“Oh, I have another question about souls,” you say. 

“shoot.”

You clear your throat. “Can you see auras around monsters like you can around humans? And have you ever seen a human that had a ‘bad soul’? Since you said mine’s a good soul, I assume you have something to compare it to.”

“that was more than one question,” he teases. You stick your tongue out at him. “first answer: no, i can’t. monster souls are a lot...emptier than human ones. so they don’t project an aura. as for the second answer, yes. i have seen some bad souls.”

With the way his gaze darkens as he answers the second question, any notions of prying further disappear from your mind. Instead, to lighten the mood, you ask him if Papyrus is still using a lot of glitter in his spaghetti. It works, and the two of you start talking about that instead, the topic of good and bad souls left alone for now. 

Before you know it, a half-hour has passed, and Toby is completely ready to head back to the apartment now. You feel bad; he’s been sitting at the other end of the leash as you and Sans were talking. He must be bored out of his mind. So you start walking back, still talking to Sans.

When you finally get back to the apartment building, you say hi to Dex one more time and take the elevator up with Sans, saying goodbye to him when it stops at the third floor. He gives Toby a scratch behind the ear and winks at you, saying he’ll see you at work. You and Toby ride the elevator for two more floors until you reach yours, and within a minute you’re back inside your apartment.

“That was different, huh Toby?” you ask your dog as he licks his leg. You’ll never understand why he does that. “But sometimes different is good, right?”

Toby doesn’t answer. You flop down on your couch, staring at the ceiling and reflecting on the morning you’ve had. 

Yeah, you decide. Sometimes different is good. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cherry blossoms are super awesome. One of my favorite things about spring, even if they don't last very long.
> 
> See you guys tomorrow!


	9. Pomp and Circumstance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of POV changes in this one. Yikes.

In the blink of an eye, months go by. Before you know it, it’s June, and Friedman University has its annual commencement ceremony on a sunny Saturday. All the staff, from custodial to administrative, is required to be there. Once you make your way to the open green you spot Sans and Alphys, and head over to them. 

“Hey guys,” you say, snagging the open seat next to Sans. “I’m not late, am I?”

“nah,” Sans answers. “haven’t even started the boring speeches yet.”

You laugh. That’s one part of your own graduation ceremony you don’t miss. Listening to speeches from the university’s president, from the guest speaker (in your year, it was Nancy Pelosi) to the valedictorian, all while waiting to graduate. You were so excited to graduate, to finally be done with your education. You didn’t want to sit through speech after speech to get there.

As the president begins her speech, you look out over the sea of students in their caps and gowns. Some of them you recognize from Chemistry labs you assisted with. 

“you know, i’m pretty sure she made the exact same speech last year,” Sans whispers in your ear. A slight shiver runs down your spine at his sudden closeness, but you brush it off. 

“Yeah, she’s not really one for creativity,” you say. “I mean, it’s not like the students will notice. In my opinion, it’s pretty smart. She’s gotta have it memorized by now. Maybe next year she’ll add a fancy dance routine!”

He lets out a low chuckle. “now that would be something.”

The speeches continue on, and pretty soon, it’s time for these seniors to take the last walk of their university careers. As you watch the procession, you’re thrown back seven years to your own graduation ceremony, and to the feelings you had that day…

* * *

 

Sans isn’t quite sure what to make of you. You’re a good person, he could tell that immediately. That night while the fire alarm was going off, he got a good long peek at the aura of your soul. He was pleased with what he could see there.  And you’ve been nothing but nice to him and Papyrus.  _ Especially  _ Papyrus. That’s something that he will never stop admiring you for. The way you acted when he mentioned people who wanted to hurt Papyrus, well, it reminds him of himself in some ways. 

He also thinks you look pretty damn cute when you blush. Ashley was right; you  _ do  _ blush red all the way down to your chest when you’re embarrassed or flustered. It’s one of his favorite new activities: Fluster Cate until she blushes. It’s almost depressingly easy, but he loves it every time. 

But there are some things about you that just seem off. One time he asked you if you had any siblings, and you answered that you had a brother. The way you answered the question seemed robotic, like it was practiced. You didn’t offer any further information, and Sans didn’t ask. Not every pair of siblings is as close as he and Papyrus are, he supposes. 

And there are some times, he notices, where you’ll trail off in the middle of a sentence or look off in the distance with a glazed look on your face, like you’re remembering something. You’re doing that right now, he notices. To anyone else, it looks like you’re watching the graduation ceremony. But he recognizes that look in your face. You’re not mentally here right now. So, Sans does what he always does in situations like these.

“hey,” he says, touching your shoulder lightly. You jump a little, and he pretends not to notice. “see that kid there? the one with the blond hair?”

“Um, yeah! That one?” She points to the boy walking to get his diploma. “What about him?”

He keeps his hand on your shoulder. “he was one of my best students this year. he only took physics 103 because he was a history major, but he really impressed me. the way he thought about science was so refreshing.”

You turn a little to face him, but you make no move to remove his hand from your shoulder. Sans lets it stay there. “That makes sense! There were some art kids in one of the Chem labs I helped out with, and they always approached things so differently.”

“would you say they’re  _ quarky _ ?” He grins at you. Nothing can bring you back down to Earth like one of his perfectly placed puns.

“Sans!” You shove him in the shoulder. 

“aw, come on, you know you love my puns,” he says, using the opportunity to scoot  _ just  _ a little closer to you. Just to see if you’ll blush. That’s all. His hand skirts from your shoulder, across your back, to your far shoulder, until he’s got his arm around you like a teenager on a date. 

Again, he tells himself, just to make you blush. 

“You’re insufferable,” you say. 

“O-oh, look Cate!” Alphys cries. You lean forward to see what she’s pointing at, and Sans’ arm falls from its position on your shoulders. You never even noticed it. He’s a little disappointed. But he tells himself it’s just because he wanted to see you blush. 

That’s all it is, right?

* * *

 

Oh, you  _ totally  _ noticed Sans’ arm around your shoulders. You were acutely aware of its weight perched on your back. But you know the game he’s playing. He wants to get a rise out of you? Fine. But you’re not going to make it easy. 

After the final senior receives her diploma, everyone stands up and claps. You, Alphys, and Sans are no different. Sans originally makes a big show out of getting up, but stops once you elbow him in the side. There was a time when you used to think doing something like that would hurt him, but after several months of knowing Sans, you now know that he doesn’t injure easily. 

Once the clapping finishes, it’s time for the senior class’ final luncheon with their families and professors. You’re not sure who catered the event, but there sure is a lot of food sitting out. 

You run into Ashley at a table covered in pizza. 

“Hey!” she says. “There’s pizza here with  _ barbecue sauce  _ instead of marinara! It’s amazing!”

You smile. “Yeah, that sounds really good!”

She takes another bite of the pizza she has in her hand. “Oh, I heard on the news this morning that Foster Pharmaceuticals is looking to expand into China.”

“Ugh, really?” Your face scrunches up like you’ve smelled something bad. “Gross.”

“hey cate, what's your  _ beef  _ with foster pharmaceuticals anyway?” You turn around and see Sans gesturing to a piece of Canadian bacon. You roll your eyes. 

“That’s from a  _ pig,  _ doofus. And well, as for Foster…” you lock eyes with Ashley, who gives you a shrug. Very helpful. “I just, they, uh, they’re not a very nice company. Some of their manufacturing plants dump what are basically toxic materials into rivers and lakes. It’s really bad for the environment and it’s not illegal, so there’s really nothing we can do to stop it. And the company doesn’t give a shit. Not as long as they keep making money. I’m just glad I managed to get Friedman to stop accepting their money.”

He looks impressed. “how’d you manage that?”

Ashley cuts in. “Cate wrote her senior thesis on the effects of Foster’s toxic dumps on the ecosystem in a nearby lake. 

“huh. sounds like more of a biology thing to me.”

“I minored in environmental studies,” you say. “Plus, Dr. Nelson was really interested in what I was discovering. When I submitted my thesis she brought it to the board of directors. They decided they didn't want Foster to have any part in their school. So they basically told the company to fuck off.”

“We had to rename the Biology building,” Ashley says. A bunch of people wanted to name it after Cate, but-”

“But I thought they should name it after someone who actually majored in Biology,” you say, cutting her off. You’re still glad they didn't rename that building after you. That would have been...redundant. 

“heh, yeah, that makes sense,” Sans says. “still, nice going. sounds like those guys at foster are real assholes.”

You nod, cracking a smile. “That’s certainly  _ one  _ word for them.”

“Alright, enough of the past!” Ashley says. “Let’s focus on the here and now! There is so much food I haven’t eaten yet, let’s go!”

You roll your eyes at your best friend's antics but follow her anyway. Not wanting Sans to be left behind either, you grab for him, accidentally grabbing his hand. Oh well. He can’t see you blush if you’re facing away from him, right? Oh, and it’s  _ definitely  _ your imagination that he’s tightening and shifting his grip so his hand fits better in yours. 

Definitely.

* * *

 

Your hand is warm, he notices as you're dragging him along. It’s warm and it seems to send some kind of feeling up along his radius and ulna, tickling his humerus. Heh. He should tell that to you. The feeling is far from unpleasant. It’s warm, just like your hand. But it’s probably nothing. 

He’s a little mad that he can’t see your face, he bets you’re blushing like crazy. 

You let go once Ashley stops at the dessert table, and Sans lets his arm flop to his side. He watches you you grab a chocolate chip cookie, and sidles up alongside you. 

“next time you want me to follow you somewhere, all you gotta do is ask.” You turn to face him, surprise on your face and...yes! A blush! He does a victory dance inside his head. 

Quickly, you swallow your cookie. “It was an accident!”

He winks. “i know. but you should know by now that i just like  _ ribbing  _ ya.”

You face him down with a deadpan stare. “Stop this.”

“aww, cate, don’t get so  _ sternum  _ with me!”

Your angry face is even better than your blush. As he dodges a swipe, he thinks to himself that it was totally worth it.

* * *

 

A few hours later, the graduated seniors are trickling out, and the food is being cleared away. You, personally, are stuffed, and most everyone else feels the same. Even Ashley has finally slowed down her systemic and total destruction of the campus’ food supply. 

You watch the seniors’ backs as they leave with their families, and a sense of melancholy settles over you. It’s been this way ever since your first time sitting through the graduation festivities as an employee. 

“you okay?” A bony hand rests on your back and you turn around to see Sans standing there, a look of concern etched on his face. You must have been spacing out again.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you say. “It’s just been a long day, you know? I’m a little tired.”

A loud voice cuts through the air. “Well I hope you’re not TOO tired, because the night is just beginning!”

When did Undyne get here? Jeez, you  _ really  _ need to work on your whole zoning out thing. 

“we’re going to grillby’s for drinks, if you want to come with us,” Sans says. You look at Ashley questioningly.

“I need to get home,” she says apologetically. “But let me know how everything is, okay? I’ve heard Grillby’s has  _ awesome  _ drinks.”

You nod. “See you!”

“See you!”

She leaves, and it’s down to the four of you. Turns out that Undyne drives Alphys to work every day, so they’re taking her car to get to Grillby’s. Which leaves you in your car by yourself. Unless…

“i usually just teleport to work,” Sans says. “saves gas, you know?”

“You can come with me, if you want,” you offer. “O-only if you want to, I mean.”

He just smiles. “sure. i can make sure you don’t get lost again.”

“That was  _ one time _ !”

Undyne cuts in. “Yo, nerds. As much as I’d love to hear this story, I wanna hear it with a couple of shots already in me. Let’s  _ go. _ ”

She and Alphys take off towards the visitor lot, while you and Sans walk to the faculty parking behind the Chemistry department. 

“You know, I’m kind of excited,” you say. “In all the times you and I have gone to Grillby’s, I’ve never once had any alcohol there. Have you?”

He nods. “been a while. but grillbz makes good stuff. he’ll make sure you have a good time.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” you say, laughing. “I’ll make you pay off your tab if I don’t.”

He gasps. “and i thought we were  _ friends! _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My high school graduation is in a week, man. I can hardly believe it.
> 
> Oh, and related to that. Probably won't be able to get a chapter out this weekend. I will try if i have time, but I have an AP Bio final to study for, and a huge writing assignment for my English class. Plus the next chapter is turning into something other than i had planned for, so I need to figure out how the changes will affect the rest of the story. Yay.
> 
> See you guys when I update again!


	10. A Nice Evening Among Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, that was a busy weekend. But now it's over, and I only have like 2 more assignments to do before I'm done with high school. I am so ready.

By the time you and Sans make it to Grillby’s, Alphys and Undyne are already there, in one of the booths. They’re sitting on the same side, leaving you and Sans to squish in across from them. 

“Took you guys long enough!” Undyne says. “We were about to order the first round without you.”

“yeah, sorry, cate wanted to try a different way to get here.”

You shoot a glare his way. “Excuse me?  _ You’re  _ the one who told me to go this way! And I had to stop back at the apartment take Toby out!”

“Oh my god people, seriously,” Undyne interjects. “I did  _ not  _ come here to be witness to your little lover’s spat. I came here to get  _ drunk.  _ And drunk I will get.”

As if on cue, Grillby arrives at your table. Undyne orders a round of...something. It’s some sort of monster alcohol. You’re nervous to try it, but Sans says it’s fine for humans. 

“grilbz would be outta business if it hurt anybody.”

When Grillby comes back, he’s carrying a tray full of shots that look absolutely  _ delightful.  _ The amber liquid in the glasses is literally shimmering in the dim light. Everyone takes a glass, and the four of you clink them together before knocking them back simultaneously. 

_ Oh.  _ That feels  _ good.  _ The drink travels past your throat leaving a pleasant tingling in its wake. It tastes good, too. Nothing like any shot you've taken of human alcohol. 

You bring your glass down onto the table with a  _ clink _ , and let out a contented sigh. 

“what did you think?” 

You turn to Sans, a big smile on your face. “That was  _ amazing!  _ Like nothing I’ve ever had before!”

Undyne slams her shot glass down, and you’re surprised it doesn’t break. “Yeah, it’s pretty good! My favorite drink here.”

“Well I loved it! Any other drinks that you guys like?”

With that one statement, you consign yourself to an evening of drink tasting. You feel a little bad for Grillby; every time he comes by with something new for you to try, Undyne gives him another drink to make. But everything you’re trying is really good, and you tell Grillby so. You like to think you’re a gracious person. He’s only bringing you a mouthful or so of each drink, for which you’re grateful. You don’t want to overdo it. 

Sometime after your fifth sample, one of the other patrons calls Sans over. He gets up with a shrug—”what can i say? i’m a popular guy”—and makes his way over to what looks like a bunch of dogs playing poker. C. M. Coolidge would be proud. 

The second he’s gone, Alphys and Undyne turn to face you at the exact same time. It’s a little creepy. 

“So,” Undyne begins, fixing you with a delighted and somewhat frightening stare. “You and Sans, huh?”

You’re confused. “Me and Sans what?”

“How long have you guys been dating, and why haven’t either of you said anything about it?” Alphys bursts out. 

What. 

“What are you guys  _ talking  _ about? Sans and I aren’t dating! Where did you get  _ that  _ idea?”

They just stare at you like you’re an alien. 

“I-oh, oh my God,” Alphys half-whispers. “I-but-you’re so obvious!”

“ _ Obviously  _ not, if we’re not dating!” you retort.

Undyne raises her eyebrow. “You’re really not a couple?”

“No! I don’t think of Sans that way! We’re just really good friends!”

“Are you  _ sure _ ?” Alphys probes. 

“Yes! What do you mean, am I sure?”

Undyne sends a sideways glance Alphys’ way. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

You’re a nice person. You don’t deserve this. “What is  _ wrong  _ with you guys? Sans and I are not dating!”

Undyne huffs in what looks like defeat, but Alphys leans forward, eyes glistening. You don’t like where this is going. “Why not? You guys would be  _ great  _ together.”

Would you? You honestly haven’t thought about it before. “You think so, huh?”

She rolls her eyes at you. Wow. You have never seen so much sass from Alphys before. The alcohol must be doing this to her. “Yes! You guys are my OTP. And now that I know you’re not together, it’s going to become my mission to get you together!”

Undyne gets back into the conversation, a devious look on her face. “Hell yeah! Me too! Oh man, and then we can go on double dates, and it’ll be so great!” She kisses Alphys on the cheek. “Great idea, babe!”

Alphys erupts into a fit of giggles and you sigh to yourself. 

“What makes you guys think I’d even  _ want  _ to be in a relationship with Sans?”

There they go, back at it again with the deadpan stares. 

You’re getting really frustrated now. “ _ What?” _

“This is even worse than I thought,” Alphys says. “You don’t even know you like him yet!”

“New mission!” Undyne proclaims. You shush her, people are starting to stare. “Get Cate to realize how madly in love she is with Sans!”

This is too much. You can’t deal with these two anymore. So you stand up, leave the booth, and go over to the bar, where there’s an empty stool. 

“Hey Grillby,” you say, grabbing his attention. He nods your way. “I’d kinda like to get drunk right now. Can I have some of the blue drink I tried earlier?”

He returns a few minutes later with a glass full to the brim with cyan, sparkling liquid. You raise it to your lips, tilt your head his way I respect, and take a sip. Awesome. 

“you know, that’s my favorite drink.”

You nearly choke on your drink, spinning around on the barstool to see Sans standing behind you, shit-eating grin on his face. 

“God, you scared me!” you say, setting your glass down on the bar. 

“sorry.” He slides into the stool next to yours. You’re not sure you believe his apology. “so what are you doing over here, huh?”

You let out a sigh. “The second you left the table, Alphys and Undyne practically cornered me. They thought we were  _ dating. _ ”

“why would they think that?”

“Who knows! That’s what I said!” At least  _ someone  _ in this establishment understands you. “And they didn't believe me at first when I told them we’re not.” You take another sip of the drink. “And now since they know we’re  _ not  _ together, it’s become their life mission to  _ get  _ us together.”

He laughs. “and how are they planning on doing that?”

“I don’t know!” you say. “It’s pretty hard to get two people together when they don’t even like each other that way, though.”

“heh. yeah.”

“That's something else! They’re convinced that I’m madly in love with you, which makes absolutely no sense. I think you’d have to know someone more than a few months to fall ‘madly in love’ with them, and, sorry to burst your bubble, but I only see you as a friend.”

He shrugs. “no skin off my bones, cate. y’know. since i don’t have any.” You scoff at his choice of words, and go back to your drink. 

“Do you think this’ll give me a hangover?” you say after a minute. “Because I don’t know how monster alcohol works, but if this were human alcohol, I’d  _ definitely  _ get a hangover tomorrow.”

He looks thoughtful for a second. “not really sure. i’ve never seen a human the morning after they had some monster alcohol before.”

You shrug, looking down into your now half-empty glass. “I hope not. Hangovers are pretty much the worst.”

“never had one.”

“You’re lucky,” you say. “I don't have them very often, but sometimes when I’m out drinking with friends I just kinda go all out.” As if to emphasize your point, you finish the rest of the drink and set it down on the counter. You’re still feeling pretty sober, so you figure another drink couldn’t hurt. Grillby brings you another glass, and one for Sans, too. You still don’t understand how he can eat or drink; you’ve never seen him take a sip or a bite but he always seems to eat his food. But at this point, you don't really care. You clink glasses with Sans before downing a nicely sized gulp of your second drink of the night.

* * *

 

After your third drink, Sans can tell that you’re quite drunk. And, lucky for him, you seem to be a cuddly drunk, judging by the way you’ve got his arm in a vice grip and how you’re leaning into him like he’s a pillow. That  _ cannot  _ be comfortable, he thinks wryly. 

“Hey Sans, I gotta question,” you say, grinning. “How do you, like, eat stuff? ‘Cause like I never see you take a bite but then your food is gone and it makes me confused.”

He’s more than a little uncomfortable with the way you’re gripping onto him, but he answers anyway. “magic.”

You make a pouty face. “Aw, that’s all? That’s so  _ boring!”  _

“hey cate, maybe i should take you home. it’s late and i think you’ve had enough to drink.”

You groan, and push against him. “I can drive myself! You can just do your stupid little magic thingy and I can drive.”

That is the worst idea Sans has ever heard. 

“no, cate, c’mon. i’ll take you home, no one’ll crash the car, it’ll be great. but we gotta go.”

You continue to fight him, sitting on the stool and refusing to move. After a few minutes of trying to get you up of your own volition, Sans gives up. Using just a  _ little  _ gravity magic to make you weigh less, he scoops you up fireman style, says goodnight to Grillby (who’s looking at the scene with a mixture of pity and amusement), and steps out into the night. 

You’ve been limp in his arms ever since he picked you up, and when he looks down, he sees you’ve fallen asleep. Your head is tilted back and your mouth is open. He hears a quiet snore coming from you. He tightens his hold, and takes a quick trip through the void into your apartment. He’ll get your car in a few minutes. 

He’s not sure which room is your bedroom, and he doesn’t want to go poking around in your things, so he just sets you down on your couch. Behind him, he hears skittering noises, and he turns around to see Toby coming over to the couch to see what all the commotion is about.

“hey toby,” Sans says, stooping down and rubbing the dog behind the ears. “cate’s asleep, so you gotta be quiet, okay? don’t wake her up.”

He stands up straight, and Toby immediately launches himself up onto the couch, burrowing in by your feet. He must sleep with you every night. Sans wonders if he gets lonely. Once more, his gaze scans over your sleeping form. Maybe he should check up on you in the morning? He doesn’t know a lot about hangovers, but he does know they can be pretty bad. 

Resolving to send you a text in the morning, at the very least, he grabs your keys from your jacket pocket, and teleports back to Grillby’s, spotting your car in the side lot easily. He mentally thanks Papyrus for forcing him to get a driver’s license, and navigates your car through the nearly empty seats of the city and into the apartment’s parking garage. He parks the car, drops the keys back off in your apartment, and teleports directly into his apartment two floors below, too lazy to take the elevator down. 

Papyrus is waiting for him when he gets there.

“Sans! You’re home late tonight!”

Papyrus doesn’t look upset, by Sans still feels a twinge of guilt in his soul. “geez, sorry paps. you didn’t have to wait up for me.”

“I wanted to hear about your date! Also I was excited to get to the next chapter of Mistborn!”

_ Not this again,  _ Sans thinks to himself.

“bro. cate and i are not dating. we’re just friends.”

“Sure, Sans. Wink.”

Sans sighs in frustration. “whatever, paps. let’s just head to bed.”

As he reads the next chapter of Mistborn to his brother, Sans can’t help but think of how you looked, asleep in his arms. But that’s just because he’s tired, right? He’s not thinking straight. Right?

Right.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when I'll get the next chapter out. I'm really excited to write this one (when you read it you'll see why), so it could be pretty soon. Probably not tomorrow though. We'll see.
> 
> See you guys then!


	11. Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o shit are you guys ready for this?
> 
> the answer is no. none of you are ready for what I am about to unleash upon you. 
> 
> have fun, kiddos

When you wake up the next morning, the first thing that registers is the headache. 

“Shit,” you curse under your breath as you slowly sit up. “Jesus fuck, that hurts.”

You feel a weight leave your legs and you open your eyes in time to see Toby leaping off the couch and sitting patiently on the floor. 

Wait.  _ Couch? _

You shoot up, wincing at the pain that shoots through your brain. What even happened last night? You remember drinking at Grillby’s, and talking to Sans. God, you didn't embarrass yourself, did you? 

As you swing your legs to the floor, Toby gets up and trots over to the door. Shoot. You need to take him outside. 

“One sec, Toby, I gotta…” You trail off, feeling around in your pocket for your phone. Good. There it is. You pull it out and turn it on. The first thing you notice is that it’s nearly noon. The second thing you see is a text from Sans. 

**hope you slept ok. you looked bone tired last night**

The text is from half an hour ago. Wow, you’re really off today, aren’t you? You text him back.

**note to self: monster alcohol is not immune to hangovers. I feel like shit**

You pocket your phone again and begrudgingly stand up, heading over to the bathroom. You quickly wash your face, getting the day-old makeup off. Then you head into your bedroom, changing into something a little more comfortable. Finally, you walk over to the door and grab Toby’s leash. He sits as you clip it to his collar, and you lead him outside of your apartment and to the elevator. After you're inside, you press the button for the third floor. Even though it’s late, you’re sure Papyrus would still want to accompany you on Toby’s morning walk. 

You knock on the door and Papyrus opens the door. You see Sans standing behind him and wave half-heartedly. Your head is still throbbing. 

“Hello, Cate! Good morning!” Okay. Papyrus is  _ way  _ too loud for you today. You can’t stop yourself from wincing and letting out a muffled whine. Papyrus responds immediately. “Oh no! Are you hurt? You don't look too good!”

You shake your head. “I’m okay, Papyrus. I just have a-a hangover.”

He looks confused. “A hangover? I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“she means she’s sick, bro,” Sans supplies. That’s not exactly true, you think. But gosh, you certainly  _ feel  _ sick. 

Papyrus gasps. “Oh no! Sick? You simply cannot take Toby for his walk in such a condition! I, the Great Papyrus, will do it for you!”

“Oh Papyrus, that’s okay-” you start. 

“No! I insist! If you’re sick, you have to rest! I will take Toby for his walk. You can stay here with Sans and lie down!”

You have to admit, lying down sounds  _ really  _ nice right about now. “Are you sure you can handle Toby?”

“Of course!” Then an expression comes over Papyrus’ face like he’s had an idea. “In fact, why don't you give me your apartment keys? That way I can feed Toby when we are done with our walk and you can keep resting!”

You’re not sure that’s the best idea. But you trust Papyrus, and Toby’s very familiar with him at this point. 

“Okay,” you say, handing over the keys. “Just...be careful, okay?”

“I will!” he says as he takes Toby from you and heads out the door. “Sans, make sure she lies down and gets plenty of rest!”

“will do.” The door shuts and you turn to Sans, a little bewildered by what just happened. 

“I cannot believe I just let him walk Toby by himself.”

Sans shrugs. “eh. they’ll be fine. here, come take a seat on the couch.”

You do as he says. Sans and Papyrus’ apartment is very similar to yours, except mirrored, you think. The couch is in pretty much the exact same space. As you sit, he does too, and he chuckles a little as he watches you rub your temples. “so this is a hangover, huh?”

“Yeah,” you groan, leaning your head back. “Like I said, pretty much the worst. You don’t happen to have any aspirin, do you?”

He shakes his head, and your heart sinks. “we don’t really have any human medicine here. but we do have monster candy. since it’s magical alcohol that gave you the hangover, something else magical might help.”

“I’m willing to try anything,” you say. Sans gets up and heads into the kitchen, and a few second later is back with a brightly colored piece of what looks like normal hard candy. He offers it to you, and you take it, looking it over before popping it in your mouth. 

The candy dissolves instantly, leaving a pleasant taste on your tongue. What’s more, your headache starts to subside to a dull ache instead of a pounding one. It still hurts, but not nearly as much as before. 

“better?” Sans asks. You nod. “yeah, this stuff is great for less serious illness and injury. plus it tastes pretty good.”

You nod, agreeing. Your head still hurts, so you close your eyes and start rubbing at your temples again, trying to lessen the pain some more. 

“does that help?” You open your eyes and look over at Sans, who’s watching you with a curious look on his face. 

“It does,” you say. “Not as much as that candy just did, but it does something.”

“can i try?” 

“Oh, uh, sure,” you say, taken a little off guard. “Here, I’ll move so it’s easier for you.” You shift around so your back is to him. “Go ahead.”

It’s a little weird, getting a scalp massage from a skeleton monster. You would think Sans’ fingers would get stuck in your hair, but they glide through it like human fingers would. You decide to chalk it up to magic and leave it at that. 

He’s been rubbing circles into your scalp for a couple minutes when you feel a tingle coming from the tips of his fingers. It catches you off guard, and you jump a little when you first feel it. 

“oh, sorry,” Sans says, pulling his fingers back. “i was just tryin’ a little healing magic. didn’t mean to hurt you.”

You shake your head. “No, no, it's fine, you didn't hurt me. Just startled me. It actually felt kinda good.” To emphasize your point, you scoot back on the couch so you’re a little closer to him. “Do it again.”

He does. There's a slight shiver that runs down your spine at the touch, but you suppress it. The magic still tingles, but as he rubs his fingers over your scalp, you feel your headache subsiding. 

“Mm, keep doing that,” you groan. Your eyes have closed by this point, and you just leave the literal magic touch of Sans’ fingers to their job. 

You lose track of time in this strange bliss, and before you know it, the door to the apartment opens. 

“Sans! Cate! Toby and I have-oh. Oh my.”

Your eyes shoot open at the sound of Papyrus’ voice, and you feel Sans freeze behind you. 

Papyrus looks absolutely shocked, his mouth open. You're about to say something, to explain yourself, but then he breaks out in a wide grin. 

“So you  _ were  _ on a date last night! Nyeh-he-he!” Both you and Sans are still too shocked at the intrusion to correct him. “Cate! I see that you must have faked being sick as a ruse to be alone with Sans! Well, no worries! Toby and I will leave you two alone to engage in the passionate dance of love! Sans, my dating handbook is next to my bed if you need it. I will return later!”

And with that, Papyrus and Toby leave out of the still open door, shutting it behind them. The resounding silence falls over the two of you, and both you and Sans are still, not daring to move. 

After a few seconds, you decide to break the silence. 

“I-uh, we, um. What the fuck just happened?”

Sans retracts his hands from your head and you scoot around so you’re facing him again. Are his cheekbones tinted...blue? No, that must be your imagination. “uh, papyrus kinda thinks we’re dating.”

“I can see that!” you exclaim. “God,  _ everyone  _ seems to think that! This is insane. Your brother thinks we’re dating,  _ and  _ he kidnapped my dog. What a day this is turning out to be.”

“i should call him and explain, before he tells literally everyone we know.” Sans pulls out his phone and calls Papyrus, holding the phone up to where his ear would be, if he had one. 

“hey paps, listen. cate and i aren’t dating.”

You can actually hear Papyrus’ response from where you’re sitting on the other end of the couch. 

“WHAT? But-but you were caressing her head! And she looked like she was really enjoying it!”

Sans looks at you, smirk on his face. You stick your tongue out at him. 

“i know how it looked, bro, but cate had a headache and i was just helping her out. that’s all.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line. Papyrus must be thinking of what to say. Sans is about to say something again when Papyrus’ voice comes back. “...Very well. It’s as serious as I thought. You just haven’t realized your affections for each other yet! Toby and I will continue to stay out of your way for the rest of the day so you can see your true feelings for each other! It is a truly perfect plan concocted by me, the Great Papyrus!”

And with that, the line goes dead. You fix Sans with a stern gaze. 

“So much for explaining things, huh?”

“i tried! sometimes papyrus can be a real  _ numbskull _ about these things.”

“I am going to pretend you didn’t say that,” you say, relaxing back into the couch. “Well, we  _ still  _ don’t know where he went with Toby, and I don’t really want to go walking around the city to try finding them. We might as well stay here until they come back.”

Sans shrugs. “fine by me. you know how much i like doing nothing.” He flips on the TV, and the two of you sit in silence for a while, watching some reruns of a sitcom from the 90s.

After a while, you break the silence. “Sans?”

“mm?” He doesn’t look away from the television. 

“I don’t remember how I got home last night. Mind filling me in?”

He turns his head to look at you. “sure. i took ya home. didn’t trust you to get home by yourself.”

You wince. “How bad was I? Judging by my headache, I must have been  _ really  _ drunk.”

“you were a little...clingy,” he says carefully. 

“Oh, goddammit, I’m sorry,” you say. “God, I  _ never  _ get drunk like that. Not for a couple years, at least. I’m really sorry you had to see me that way. I didn't do anything  _ super  _ embarrassing, did I?”

“nah.” You sigh in relief. “you  _ did  _ try to convince me that you could drive, though. had a tough time believing you.”

You let out a huff of air. “Thanks for making sure I got home okay. Oh, and did you by any chance do anything with my car…?”

He nods. “drove it home for you. it’s in the garage.”

“Sans, you’re a freaking lifesaver.”

“i’m just being a good friend.”

You smile, and go back to watching TV, your mind a little more at ease. It’s easy to be that way around Sans, you notice. He has a very comforting presence, when he’s not trying to crack jokes, that is. You’ve pretty much always found it easy to be yourself when you’re with him. Probably because you met in the most embarrassing of all circumstances. 

Luckily, Toby has not shows any signs of wanting to eat Sans or Papyrus since that night. 

It’s a little while later when you get up to get a glass of water from the kitchen. Right before you pass out of sight of the TV, you see a “Breaking News” headline flash on the screen. Wonder what that’s about. 

While you're filling up the glass, you hear the voice of a news anchor coming from the TV, but you can't make anything out. When the glass is nearly full you pull it back from the fridge dispenser and take a sip. Good stuff. 

“hey, cate!” comes Sans’ voice from the other room. “they’re talking about foster pharmaceuticals. something about a plane crash?”

What? You walk into the other room and find yourself looking at a news anchor wearing a very somber expression. There’s a gnawing put in your stomach that is getting worse by the second. 

“Reports have just been confirmed that a plane en route to China has crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. We are not sure what caused the crash, but we can confirm that all aboard perished in the crash. The death toll is six. Two pilots, two attendants, and the two passengers, Colton and Amelia Foster. Colton Foster was the son of Lawrence Foster, owner and CEO of Foster Pharmaceuticals, one of the largest…”

The woman keeps talking, but you can’t hear what she’s saying. There’s blood pounding in your ears, and you feel like you’re falling. It’s like traveling through the void with Sans but you have no anchor. There is nothing to keep you grounded. 

_ No. Not this. Anything but this.  _

You’re vaguely aware of the sound of breaking glass, and a sharp pain on your leg. There's some liquid running down your face; you think you're crying. You can’t be sure. You’re not sure of anything anymore. 

_ This can’t be happening. Not to him. Not when— _

“cate!” Sans’ voice is frantic and loud, and it breaks you out of your shock. His hands are on your shoulders and he’s shaking you, the look on his face full of concern. 

“ _ Sans,”  _ you choke out, gripping onto his arm. “Sans, I, shit, he-”

“ _ what?  _ cate, what is it? what’s wrong?”

You can barely get through your words. “That’s my brother! He-he, he’s dead, Sans! Colton’s dead!”

 


	12. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah. that happened. 
> 
> Surprised I managed to get another chapter out this fast. But hey. I love writing this story. I hope that shows.

You’re not sure how long it takes you to stop crying. After you finally say it out loud, that your brother is dead, you completely break down. You sink to the floor and Sans comes with you, his presence by your side the only comfort in a sudden new reality. You completely let yourself go in a way you haven’t for a very long time, leaning into Sans’ warm jacket, probably getting it soaked with your tears. At one point, you’re aware of him doing something to your leg and clearing away the broken glass, but besides that, he doesn’t leave your side. 

After a while, you’re completely exhausted, and your headache is back in full force. You slump against Sans, taking slow, shaky breathes. 

“geez, cate. i-i’m so sorry.” These are the first words he’s said since you told him that Colton was your brother. “i don’t even know what to say. losing your brother...that’s about the worst thing that can happen to a person.”

You sniffle a little, wiping your nose with your sleeve. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.” Your voice is hoarse, and your throat hurts. 

“heh. no, but i can imagine what losing paps would be like. it would be like dying myself.”

You want to cry again, but you think you’ve run out of tears. “Fuck. I never-I didn't talk to him for seven years, and now I can’t. Ever.”

“seven years?”

“Yeah. Ever since I was disowned.”

“what?”

You nod. “Right after I graduated from Friedman. I can give you the whole story, if you want.”

You see a curious glint in his gaze, but he shakes his head. “you don't have to, cate.”

“But I do,” you say. And you truly believe that. “I’ve never told anyone the whole story. Not in seven whole years. Everyone who already knows knew me before. I need to tell someone. Need to-to get it off my chest.”

“okay.” Sans stand up and offers a hand to you. “let’s do this on the couch. it’s more comfortable than the floor.”

You take the proffered hand and let him pull you up, too exhausted to exert the effort. He leads you over to the couch and the two of you sit down again. To get more comfortable, you draw your legs in by your side. You face towards Sans, leaning on the couch for support. 

“I never told you my full name,” you begin. “I usually don’t. I go by Cate to everyone. Friends, coworkers, everyone. But my full name is Catherine Jane Foster.”

“foster like the pharmaceutical company.”

You nod. “Exactly. My dad owns and runs it, has been ever since my grandpa left it to him. So I was born into a family that was really rich. And I thought it was great for a while. C-Colton,” you stumble over his name and Sans places a hand on your leg, “Colton was four years older than me, and even when we were little, he was already being groomed to take over our father’s position. That was what my dad always told us. Keep it in the family.”

“what, like a kingdom?”

Despite the circumstances, you let out a derisive laugh. “Exactly! The Foster Dynasty. No wonder my dad wanted to cut a deal with China. But yeah. Company’s run pretty much like a country. My dad only married my mom because her parents belonged to the same country club as my grandparents. It wasn't a normal family dynamic by any means. But I was content to play obedient little princess all throughout high school.”

“were they ‘grooming’ you, too?” Sans is leaning in, clearly interested. 

“They were. Not as blatantly as they were Colton, but still. It was more subtle. My mom spent a lot of time teaching me how to cook and entertain guests. Be a good hostess, you know? I thought it was normal, until I saw that Colton wasn’t learning the same. Sometime during high school, I realized that she was preparing me to be someone’s wife. That was the first time I fought with my parents. Ever.

“God, that was awful. I was almost done with high school, you know? I had been accepted to Friedman, I was going there for sure. But during that fight, my dad came in and threatened to keep me home. To stop me from going to school!”

Here you are, getting angry again more than ten years after that argument. But instead of pushing it down, you embrace it. Better angry at your parents than crying over Colton. 

Sans looks angry, too. “they wanted you to just stay home? and learn how to be a housewife? i mean, i’ve heard of misogyny but not like this. not these days.”

You continue. “To this day, I’m pretty sure the only reason I got to go to college was because Colton stepped in. He was home from the fancy business school my dad forced him to go to, and he heard the yelling. He came into my room and talked back to my parents for the first time. You should have seen the look on their faces. I wish I had a picture. But anyway. They listened to him, and I got to go to Friedman. In their minds, the whole mess was wrapped up. But not to me. I think something in our relationship broke that day. And when I found out that my com-that my family’s company dumps excess chemicals in lakes and rivers…”

“you decided to get back at them.”

“Uh-huh. Wrote my whole senior thesis on how shitty my dad’s company is. Dr. Nelson was my advisor, and she thought it was a really bad idea. She liked what I was doing, but she worried about what it would mean for me. And I knew she was right. I knew that by doing this, I was cutting myself off from my family forever.”

Sans’ hand is rubbing concentric circles on your leg. “that was real brave of you. defying your family for the common good.”

“I guess you could put it like that,” you say. “But at the time I was terrified of what they’d do once they found out. So I started withdrawing money from my bank account, just in case, you know? I told my parents it was for clothes, food, anything to get them off my back. And by the time I had to present my senior thesis, I had about twenty thousand dollars.”

Sans lets out a low whistle. 

“I would have gotten more out of it, but I was running out of time. One of the people on my thesis board was a member of the board of directors at my dad’s company, so my dad knew what I had done right after I did it.”

“how did that go over?”

You smile wryly. “My phone rang not twenty minutes after my presentation was finished. I didn’t pick up, I just left it to voicemail. But my dad left a message.”

“what did it say?”

You remember every word. You listened to that message probably ten times that day, and at least once a week for almost a year after. “He told me to consider myself out of the family. Disowned. He told me to never contact him, my mom, or Colton again. So I didn't. And they never contacted me either.”

“i can’t even imagine,” Sans says. “cate, i’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

You let out a sigh. “It’s in the past. I’d moved on, pretty much. But now…” You cast a glance to the TV, where news reporters are still discussing your brother’s...death. Even thinking the word is almost too much. 

“I just...even years after the fact, I always thought I would see him again,” you say. You feel the tears coming back. “I never—oh God.” You’re trying to keep the tears back, but it’s like using an umbrella to hold back a river. You just can’t. 

You duck your head down and cover your face with your hands, the tears dripping down your cheek. There's a hand on your back, and Sans is pulling you in again so your head rests on his shoulder. His jacket is pretty comfortable. For some reason, this resonates with you, and you find yourself clutching onto him like he’s a lifeguard pulling you out of a rip current. 

“i got you, cate. I got you. you’re okay.”

He holds you there for the whole time you’re crying. When your eyes are dry, you just stay there, too mentally exhausted to muster up the energy to move. 

“Thanks for being here,” you breathe into his shoulder. “Sorry about the glass.”

You feel his laughter more than you hear it. “geez cate, we can buy a new glass.”

Reluctantly, you pull back from the relative comfort of Sans’ embrace. “I know. But I feel bad. We were having a nice time, and then…”

“then you got the worst news of your life.”

You let out an exhausted breath. “Fuck. I don’t know what to do. I can’t even really think about this right now.”

Sans looks thoughtful. “then don’t. we could watch a movie or something. get your mind off of it. been meaning to see the martian. how about that?”

You nod. “That sounds good. I’ve seen that one before and I know you’d like it.”

You have a really good friend in Sans, you think as he orders the movie from Amazon Prime. As terrible as the news you just got is, you’re glad he was here when you got it. His very presence is calming you down. You’re pretty sure you’ll be infinitely grateful for that for the rest of your life. 

When the movie is ready, you pull a blanket over and snuggle into it. The warmth is nice. You look over at Sans, and hold one end of the blanket up, wordlessly asking him to join you. Much to your surprise, he does. Maybe it’s because of your current situation. But at the moment, you don’t really care. You scoot a little closer to him and watch the opening scene of the movie with all your attention, trying to drive everything else from your mind.

* * *

 

Sans is pretty sure he’s never felt this much goddamn empathy ever before in his life. His soul wrenches when he thinks about your situation. You just lost your brother, and damn, if that doesn't hit home for Sans. He still remembers vividly the first timeline where Papyrus was killed. He knows that feeling of crushing disbelief and agony. Even here, a timeline where Frisk was good (the  _ last  _ timeline, if the kid keeps their promise), Sans is still haunted in his dreams by a dusty red scarf. He remembers the relief that overcame him when the world reset and he woke up to the sound of Papyrus chastising him for being late. You, on the other hand, you don’t get that relief. There is no reset for you. This is real, final. 

He tunes back into the movie just in time to see Mark holding up a potato and looking at it sadly. 

“I ran out of ketchup seven days ago,” he says. 

You elbow him in the chest. “He’s  _ you,  _ Sans!”

“heh. surprised his supply lasted that long. if it were me on mars, it would be gone in a week.”

“If  _ you  _ were on Mars, you’d have teleported off as soon as you could.”

He thinks about that for a second. Would his magic stores be enough to let him move that far? He supposes so. The void pays no heed to distance usually. Maybe he’ll have to test that out someday. For now, he’ll just watch the movie. 

A few minutes later, he hears a buzzing coming from you. You pull out your phone, look at it, and he watches you as your eyes go wide. 

“what is it?”

“This is too goddamn much,” you whisper. “What the fuck.” But you hold the phone up to your ear anyway. 

Sans pauses the movie, and he can just barely hear a voice on the other end of the phone. “Hello, Catherine.”

He sees you stiffen at the sound of your birth name, and your eyes narrow. 

“Hello, Father.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today was my last day in AP Environmental Science, and we watched The Martian. I thought the ketchup thing was hilarious.
> 
> On a more serious note, this chapter was a little emotional to write. I wanted to write Cate's grief as accurately as I could, so I had to go back to a personal experience of mine. Last September, my uncle passed away. It was, well, it was awful. I cried for a long time after my mom told me, and then I watched a movie with my brother. Grief is different for everyone. I'm going to college in Minnesota in the fall, and my college is 45 minutes away from where he lived. He was so excited when he heard I was considering that college, and now I don't get to share that excitement with him. The last time I talked to him, he told me how proud he was of me for doing well in school, and how much he wanted me to go to that school in Minnesota. That was a few weeks before he died. 
> 
> Sad time now over.
> 
> On another note: Tomorrow is my last ever day of high school, and starting then, I'll have relatives in town until Monday. Also I have a parade to march in and some grad parties to attend. Which means the next chapter could take a few days. You guys'll just have to wait for Cate's first conversation with her dad in seven years :)


	13. Telephone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this took a lot longer than expected. sorry guys.
> 
> On the plus side, I am done with high school and it is summer! No more homework or other things to distract me from writing...except video games. 
> 
> Dragon Age: Inquisition is a wonderful, time-and-soul-sucking game and is at least half the reason it took me this long to update.

You’re not honestly sure why you picked up the phone. Your dad hasn’t spoken to you in seven years, and he calls you now? You should ignore him. You should block his number. 

But you don’t, and you answer him. He uses your birth name and it brings you right back to growing up in that house. Once upon a time you were happy in that life, but now thinking back on it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You grit your teeth and brace yourself for the shitstorm that’s about to rain down on you. 

“I assume you’re heard the news.” He’s obviously talking about Colton. 

“Yeah, I heard the news,” you say, anger coloring your voice. “I had to hear it from the mouth of a news reporter. No warning, nothing. But why should I expect one, huh? When none of you have so much as spoken to me in seven years?”

Your father clears his throat. “Yes. Well. Your mother and I have decided that the best thing to do is to extend an olive branch. Given this recent tragedy, it’s only natural-”

You can hardly believe what you're hearing. “Do you even hear yourself? ‘Extend an olive branch’? Colton fucking  _ died!  _ You had no trouble ignoring me for the past several years, so why start talking again now, huh? Unless you want something. Yeah, I bet that’s it. You want me back in the family so I can take over the business, huh? Wouldn’t that just fucking make your day?”

Your whole body is shaking with anger, and hot tears are streaming down your face. You feel the couch cushions shift underneath you and you know without looking that Sans has moved closer to you. A bony hand comes to rest on your shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. A tingle spreads out from the contact zone and you feel yourself calming down just a little. 

“Catherine, you need to calm down,” he says in a tone so condescending it makes you want to vomit. If you weren’t sitting on Sans’ couch, you probably would have by now. “I’m not asking you to take over the company. I have no doubts that the moment it became yours, you would sell it or otherwise get rid of it.”

“So what  _ do  _ you want?” 

You hear a sigh from the other end of the line. “I-we-your mother and I want you to come to Colton’s funeral. It’s in Fayetteville, next Wednesday.”

“Fayetteville? That’s two states away,” you say. “Why there? Why not in the capital?”

“That’s something else I need to talk to you about,” your father says. The tone in his voice worries you. “Colton and his wife, Amelia, they had a child.”

What.

“They-what- _ when?”  _ you practically scream into the phone. Colton and Amelia weren’t even  _ engaged  _ when you graduated, and now they have a kid?

“Her name is Madison, and she is almost five years old.”

You have a niece. You have a niece and her name is Madison and she probably would never have met you if her parents hadn’t died. Knowing the grudges your family can hold, you wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t even know your name. That you even exist. 

“Madison, huh?” you say, a sudden surge of emotion rising up inside you. “So I have a niece? Were you ever planning on  _ telling  _ me about this, or did you just do it because her parents are dead and I’ll run into her at the funeral?”

“Your actions in your thesis demonstrated that you wanted nothing to do with this family-”

“No!  _ You  _ were the ones who wanted nothing to do with me! How do you think that feels, huh? You do the right thing, even if it might get your family in trouble, and then they dump you like a sack of potatoes. You didn’t give a shit about me! What if it was me who died instead of Colton? You would have never found out. You probably wouldn’t care. I bet you’re  _ wishing  _ it was me.”

The tears are back as you pour out every brewing frustration you’ve held onto for the last seven years. You’ve never allowed yourself to be upset about this. Even when you got the voicemail, you just pushed through the pain, putting a smile on your face and convincing yourself it was all for the better, really. Who cared if you were now on your own for the first time ever? You were away from your toxic family.

But now you finally, finally allow yourself to mourn the life you lost. The time you could have spent with Colton, with Madison, a niece you’re going to meet five years too late. 

The other end of the line has been silent for a few moments, until your father speaks again. “Catherine, please. Listen to me. I called to ask if you were coming to the funeral. So are you, or aren’t you?”

You weigh your options. You could tell him to go fuck himself, and go back to your normal life. It certainly sounds appealing. Or you could let yourself back into your old life. Get the closure you’ve been subconsciously craving for all these years.

In that light, the choice seems obvious.

“Yeah, I’ll come,” you say. Another thought occurs to you. “As long as I can bring a few friends.”

“Alright,” your father says. “I will send an email with the details of the funeral tomorrow, and your mother and I will see you then. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” He hangs up, and you set your phone down beside you. You let out a loud sigh and collapse backwards into the couch.

“you doing okay?” Oh. Right. Sans is here. You’re in his house.

“Shit. No,” you say. “I am very much not doing okay.” 

You look to the side and see his sympathetic gaze. “so you have a niece, huh? madison?”

You nod, closing your eyes. “Jesus. As if this whole mess wasn’t bad enough, Colton left behind a kid, too. She’s only four years old.”

The cushions on the couch shift again and Sans is reaching an arm across your shoulders, pulling you in close. “yeah. it really sucks. sorry i’m not all that great at the whole comforting people thing.”

“You do okay,” you say. “Good enough for me.”

“so you agreed to go to the funeral.”

“Mmhmm. And Dad said I could bring some friends with me.”

“ashley?”

You open your eyes and look at Sans, studying his expression. “Yeah, Ashley. But also you. I mean, if you want to.” His silence is deafening. This was a bad decision. “You don’t have to go! I was just asking, I can ask someone else-”

“cate.” Sans interrupts. “i’ll go if you want me to, but...why?”

You let out a sigh. “I dunno! I just...I feel really comfortable when you're around. Like I’m, oh, I don’t know, safer?” Your skin is heating up and you’re blushing again, aren’t you? “God, sorry, I’m not explaining myself very well.”

He holds up his hands. “nah, i get it. as long as you’re willing to put up with my hilarious jokes, we’ll be golden.”

“Oh, someone’s going to need to take care of Toby,” you say. This planning is…good. A welcome distraction from the events of the day. “Do you think Papyrus would mind? It would only be for a few days?”

“pap  _ loves  _ toby. and he loves helping people. he’ll do it for sure.”

“Okay. Good. That’s one thing going right out of a...million things going wrong. I need to call Ashley, I wonder if she’s seen-”

As if on cue, your phone rings again. You half expect it to be your dad, redisowning you. But Caller ID displays the number as Ashley’s. Thank God. 

You answer. “Hey Ash.”

“Cate!” Her voice is frantic. “I just heard the news! About Colton! Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Do you need me to come over there?”

“I’m with Sans,” you say. “And thank you. I, heh, I pretty much cried myself out. I still can’t really believe it. And when I wanted to just-”

Your throat closes, cutting your voice off. Nope. Can’t talk about it right now. You clear your throat. “Ugh, sorry. I can talk about that later. There’s something else I need to tell you. My dad called me.”

“He  _ what?!”  _ You have to hold the phone away from your ear. “That  _ bastard!  _ He has some nerve, trying to reach out to you after all those years of ignoring you! Please tell me you told him to go fuck himself and leave you alone.”

Maybe you should have done that. “He literally said he wanted to ‘extend an olive branch’.”

She makes a noise of disgust. “What a pretentious piece of shit.”

“But he invited me to Colton’s funeral, and I said I’d go. I have to, Ash. He was my brother, and I loved him.”

There’s a beat of silence on the other end of the line. “I know, Cate. You should go to the funeral. If you get a chance, you should punch your dad in the face.”

That brings a laugh out of you. “You could do that yourself. The funeral’s in Fayetteville, and I wanted to know if you’d like to come with me? Sans is coming too, and he says we can get Papyrus to watch Toby. It’d mean so much to me if you were there.”

“You know I can’t say no to you, Cate. Yeah. I’ll come. Hope your dad’s ready for an ass-kicking.”

You crack a smile. “More like hope he isn’t. But there’s one more thing. Colton had a kid. Her name’s Madison.”

“You have a niece?”

“Yeah. She’s four years old. And I never knew she existed. I bet she doesn’t know a thing about me.”

Ashley hums in thought. “Well, she’s about to learn something, huh?”

That she is. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot thickens even more!!!!1111!!!!111!!!!11!!!!!
> 
> I need to take a little while to plan out the next several chapters so I know what I'm doing with them. This chapter right here marks the last of my original planned chapters, so now I have to think hard again! Yay!
> 
> So if I take some time to plan out these chapters, I might take a while to update again. Buuuuuut probably not eight days.
> 
> (sorry about that again)


	14. Road Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes, finally a decent-length chapter
> 
> Summer is, well, it's pretty great, guys. Week from now, like 90% of my responsibilities will be gone and I will be truly free. Heck yeah.

“So you know where Toby’s food is? And to only give him a half scoop?”

“Of course! And to walk him at least three times a day and only feed him a  _ little  _ spaghetti sauce!”

You bite your lip and nod. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Thanks again for doing this on such short notice. Papyrus. It means a lot to me.”

He beams. “Anything for a friend as great as you, Cate!” Neither of you say anything for a few seconds, and you watch as Papyrus’ smile slips into a concerned frown. Suddenly, you feel yourself lifted up by two strong skeletal arms and pulled into a hug. 

“I am so sorry for what happened,” he says, his voice softer than you’ve ever heard it. “If you ever need anything, know that I am here.”

You wrap your arms around him. “Thank you, Papyrus,” you whisper. A tear is welling up in your eye and your throat is tight. You know that trying to speak louder would be pointless. “You’re the greatest.”

He sets you down after that, a gentle, cautious smile on his face. You try your best to match it.

“Well, here are the keys,” you say after you manage to push down the tears. “I took off my car key, so it’s just the apartment key on there now. Don’t lose it, okay?”

“The Great Papyrus would never lose something so important!” he says with a hint of indignance in his voice. 

You smile. “Good. I’m gonna go see if Ashley and Sans are ready to go.” You head back towards the front door of your apartment, where both your friends are standing with bags ready to go.

“Got everything?” you ask. They both nod.

“I packed Sans’ suitcase for him, so I  _ know  _ he has everything!” Papyrus pipes up from behind you. 

Sans shoots him a mock salute. “thanks, bro. you’re the coolest.”

You gather up your own bags, and look around at these people gathered in your apartment. All three of them, they care enough about you to drop everything and give you a hand. Papyrus is watching after Toby, and while that doesn’t seem like much of a chore to him, it still means so much to you. And Ashley and Sans? They’re actually coming  _ with  _ you to the funeral of a person they’ve never even met, just because you  _ asked  _ them to. What did you ever do to deserve friends like these? 

There’s a hand on your shoulder. “Ready to go, Cate?” Ashley asks. You nod, wordlessly. The three of you say your last goodbyes to Papyrus (you also give Toby a few scratches behind the ear) and head down to the parking garage. You open the trunk of your car, the three of you cram your bags in, and then you all slide into your seats. You’re driving to start out, Ashley calls shotgun, and Sans spreads out over the backseat. He  _ almost  _ gets away with it, but you make him put on a seatbelt before you even start the car. You’re keeping everyone safe on this trip, damnit. 

There’s a long drive ahead of the three of you. Fayetteville is over a thousand miles away, which means you’re going to have to drive at least twelve hours today to get there at a respectable time tomorrow. Last night, through email, you told your father that you were bringing two others, and he gave you the address for the hotel your family is staying at. Apparently, he’s booked a room for the three of you. While you hate taking anything he tries to give you, you have little choice in the matter. Fayetteville is a ritzy town, and hotel rooms aren’t cheap. Especially for three nights. He wants the three of you to come to dinner tomorrow evening as well, and you cringe just thinking about it. 

“Hey, Cate?” Ashley says from next to you. “Does your dad, uh, know that Sans is a monster and that you're bringing him to your brother's funeral? Isn't that kind of risky?”

You let out a sigh. “Even if I gave a shit about what my dad thinks, which I  _ certainly  _ don’t, Foster Pharmaceuticals is pretty well-known for their good treatment of their monster employees. Which kind of pisses me off, because it makes it harder to hate them. And I don't hate the people who work for the company, just how the company’s run.”

“i didn't know that foster hires monsters,” Sans says. “any idea what kind of jobs, or…?”

You look in the rearview mirror so you can meet his gaze. “Pretty much anything, honestly. I don't know too much, except that there’s at least a few lab techs and project managers who are monsters. So not all grunt work, if that’s what you're asking. Which is great, it really is. But I have a hard time commending a company that is contributing to so much ecological damage.”

Sans nods. “i get that. world’s full of a lot of evils. almost nothing’s free of ‘em.”

“Of course, Foster hiring monsters means nothing about your dad’s personal prejudices,” Ashley says. 

“Yeah, I know,” you say. “And even if my dad  _ does  _ hate monsters, that makes bringing Sans along infinitely more satisfying.”

“anything to fuck with cate’s dad,” says Sans from the backseat. 

“Exactly.” You reach behind the seat to give Sans a high five. 

Some time later, your stomach is growling. You've been on the road for five hours with a stop for gas, and you're ready to stop again. There are signs for a small town coming up ahead, so you pull off the highway and drive a couple miles before coming to a place that looks straight out of a movie.”

“This place is kinda cute!” Ashley says. “Look at the hanging baskets on the street lamps! Ooh, and all the shops have their signs in the same font! This place doesn’t even seem real.”

As you listen to your best friend, you watch the backseat as Sans pulls up his hood and draws the strings tighter so it covers some of his face. 

“Sans?” you ask quietly. “What are you doing?”

“small towns have never been that, uh, great at accepting monsters into their communities, you know? just trying to make the stop go easier.”

Yeah, that’s right. Ever since monsters came aboveground they’ve been faced with prejudice and violence. And while it's been prevalent pretty much...everywhere, small towns always seem to spawn the worst stories. Sans has every right to be nervous. 

“We’ll just be here long enough to eat and get gas,” you say, trying to reassure him. “It’ll be fine.”

“if you say so.”

You find a parking spot right in front of a diner (score!) and the three of you get out, stretching your legs and arms after being in your cramped car. You bend backwards a little bit, exhaling in relief as you hear a cracking noise. That felt good. 

As you straighten back up you catch a glimpse of Sans, who’s staring at you with a concerned expression on his face. 

“What is it?” you say. 

“that noise—was that your  _ bones?” _

Oh. “Uh, sort of? I cracked my back. I think it’s just my ribs shifting back into place or something like that? It doesn't really hurt.”

“oh. okay.” He still looks concerned. You smile gently at him as you lead the way into the diner, noting the way Sans pulls on the drawstrings of his hood even more before placing his hands in his pockets. 

He stays behind you and Ashley as you approach the front counter. A middle-aged woman smiles at you and brings three menus over to a booth by a window. Sans slides in first and you follow him, leaving Ashley to slide in across from the both of you. 

“So far, so good,” you say. “Now let’s see what this place has got for food.”

* * *

 

Turns out that the place has a lot of very good things for food. You end up with the best reuben you’ve ever had, and with a piece of blueberry pie to take for the road. 

Or at least, you  _ would  _ have that piece of pie if it hadn't have been for…

“I’m sorry,” your once amicable waitress says, a tremor in her voice. “But is that a, uh, a, um, a—”

“a skeleton?” Sans finished, the irritation clear in his tone. “yeah. that’s me. a living, talking, skeleton. you got a  _ bone  _ to pick with me?”

Despite the pun, the atmosphere in the diner is suddenly tense. You can feel the eyes of several people focused on your booth. Goosebumps rise on your skin and you lock nervous eyes with Ashley. This could go sour fast. 

Sans, meanwhile, is exuding...something. He’s taken off his hood, and his left eye is, well, it’s not a white dot anymore. His eye is shimmering cyan and yellow, flickering like some otherworldly flame. 

“Sans,” you whisper, reaching out to calm him down. Your hand brushes his, and you feel a shock run through your system. You jerk back, your arm knocking into your water cup and sending it off the edge of the table. It shatters when it hits the floor. 

The noise acts as a catalyst. The waitress screams, Sans breaks out of his...trance, and the entire diner erupts into chaos. 

“Get that-that  _ thing  _ out of here!” the waitress cries, taking steps backward towards the kitchen. “That kind of thing isn’t natural. It’s not right!”

If this were any other situation you would be absolutely  _ pissed,  _ going off on this lady for her compete pigheadedness. But, well, half the people in the diner are staring at the three of you, some standing up, and you feel like a cornered animal. And if  _ you  _ feel like a cornered animal in a room full of your own species, then  _ Sans… _

“We’re leaving,” you say definitively, grabbing Sans’ hand and pulling him up out of the seat. He offers little resistance, and you push through the patrons of the diner and open the door. 

You throw your keys to Ashley and pull Sans into the back seat with you. She drives away through the town and towards the highway as you release a breath you didn’t know you were holding. 

“I changed my mind,” Ashley says quietly. “That town was not cute at all.”

You’d respond to her, but you’re a little preoccupied with Sans. He’s pointedly looking away from you, and you place a hand on his shoulder to get him to look your way. 

“Sans. What happened back there?” you ask gently. “Was it what that lady said? Because she can shove her judgemental attitude up her—well. You know.”

“sure, yeah,” Sans says, a little distractedly. “sorry you had to, uh, see that. not really one of my prouder moments.”

“Was that more of your magic?” you ask. “I could  _ feel  _ something rolling off of you when your eye was all funky. It was...pretty strange.”

He looks at you, an untraceable emotion in his gaze. “yeah, that was more magic. sorry if it spooked ya.”

You shake your head. “It didn’t. Maybe it should have, but it didn’t. And I don’t really know why that is.”

The two of you lapse into silence as Ashley continues to drive away from that awful little town with the really good reubens.

* * *

 

You really are something else, Sans thinks to himself. He really doesn’t understand how you can be so...understanding. Especially after your brother's death. If it were Papyrus, well, he knows from experience. He closes himself off to everyone else. Retreats both mentally and physically. But you? You seem to be reaching out. Maybe it’s a way for you to compartmentalize your grief. Or maybe it’s just who you are as a person. He’s starting to think it might be the latter. 

He was worried he’d scared you, with that impromptu display of his more malicious magic. But you took it all in stride. 

It’s been a few hours since that ill-fated stop, and now you’re leaning against the window, taking a catnap. As he looks at you in your most peaceful and vulnerable state, he can’t help but wonder. 

How much can you learn about him before you start to be afraid?

* * *

 

A hand shakes you awake after you've been napping for a few hours. Feeling groggy, you sit up. “Where are we?”

“ashley got us a motel room for the night,” Sans says. You rub your eyes and open them to see him looking down at you. “she’s taking your suitcase inside right now.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” you say, your internal systems still booting up. Naps are deceptive, you think. They promise quick rest but you always wake up feeling like you’ve hardly rested at all. “We should go inside too, then.”

The motel room is...a room. That's about the most positive thing you can say about it. 

“I’m sorry!” Ashley says when she notices your distaste. “But it’s really late, and it was the best I could do. And apparently, two beds was the best they could do. And I kick people, so nobody gets to share with me.”

Before either of you can protest, she flops down on the bed farthest away from the door, stretching across it diagonally. You and Sans look at each other, and at the only remaining bed. 

“You should take it. I can sleep in the car.”

“no,  _ you  _ should take it.  _ i’ll  _ sleep in the car.”

“Sans, the car isn’t exactly the most comfortable place to sleep.”

“which is why you shouldn't be sleeping there, either.”

“Okay you two, that’s enough!” Ashley cries from across the room. “You can  _ share  _ the bed, how about that? Would that make you happy?”

“That okay with you?” you ask him. 

“only if it is with you.”

“Great!” Ashley says. “Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I’m going to sleep.”

After a couple awkward minutes of finding your places in your shared bed, you and Sans do the same. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> k it's late so I am going to bed now
> 
> night folks


	15. Bad Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty easy to write. In fact, it was *so* easy to write that I had to cut the second half of it! That'll be its own chapter though, don't worry. But yeah. Here it is.

_ Snow falling. Wind cold and unforgiving.  _

He’s had this nightmare before. 

_ Crunch, crunch, his feet on the snow-covered ground. He calls for his brother, no answer.  _

Always the same. 

_ Around a corner on the edge of town, and there it is, a body in the snow.  _

Wait, body? Even in the midst of his nightmare, Sans knows this isn't right. Monsters, they turn to dust when they die. So whose body is here now?

_ He steps forward, a panicked feeling rising in his chest. Because this is not Papyrus. He isn’t prepared for who he finds lying facedown in the snow.  _

This isn’t right, she isn't supposed to be here, she  _ can’t  _ be here. 

_ “cate!” He drops to the ground and flips her over, her blank expression a shock right to his core. Eyes open, looking right at him with what he swears is an accusatory glare.  _

This is almost worse than Papyrus. No, it  _ is  _ worse, because he expects Papyrus. He’s seen his brother’s dust so many times it’s no surprise anymore. But to see Cate? It's sticking a chord in him that he didn’t know he had. 

_ “shit, cate. come on. wake up. please.” She doesn't wake. Sans pulls her body into his lap, shaking slightly. “this isn’t right, this isn’t supposed to happen. you, you can’t be…” The throat he doesn't have clenches up, cutting off his words. _

_ “Sans…” That’s her voice! He looks at her face again, but nothing has changed. She still has the same, lifeless expression on her face and he feels his soul plummet. _

_ “Sans!”  _ Now he’s being shaken, and he’s pulled out of the nightmare to see you hovering over him, looking absolutely terrified. He sees Ashley in the corner of his vision, looking at you two with a confused and alarmed expression. 

“Oh, thank god!” you say once you realize he’s awake. You pull him in for a hug and he is stunned to feel a tear from your eye making its way onto his cheekbone. 

“cate, hey,” he says, a little taken aback by your show of affection. “what are-”

You pull back from him, sitting back on your heels. “I woke up when I heard you saying my name, but you were still asleep, and…”

He knows what you’re going to say. That’s why you look so terrified. 

“You were shaking,” you say, looking at him with concern. “And-and you wouldn’t wake up! Was it a nightmare, or…?”

His gaze flicks to Ashley, still standing in the corner. 

“I’m gonna…go get coffee. I’ll be back in a few.” She ducks out of the room, leaving the two of you alone. 

You break the resounding silence after a moment. “Sans, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, I’m just worried about you.”

Are you being serious? “you’re worried about  _ me?  _ what about  _ you? _ cate, you just lost-”

“I know,” you interrupt. “But just because I’m doesn't mean you’re not allowed to have any problems.” You place a hand on his shoulder. “Like I said, you don’t have to talk about it. But I’m here if you want to.”

Maybe he should. You already know more than anyone else does, just by being there when he had a nightmare. And you heard him say your name; there’s no doubt you’re curious. 

“yeah, okay,” he says. “i had a nightmare.”

Your eyebrows furrow in sympathy. “Shoot, I’m sorry. Do you mind telling me what it was about? Talking about it might help, I don’t know.”

Sans has gone his entire life without telling a single person about his nightmares, but there's something about you. Something that makes him want to talk about them. What is so different about you? 

“i-uh, well it was about you.”

“I gathered that,” you say. “What happened?”

“you were, uh, you were dead. i found your body.”

There’s a sharp intake of breath. “Shit. That’s awful,” you say. “I’m really sorry, Sans.”

He’s about to protest, say that he’s fine, really, but suddenly your arms are wrapped around him, and his words are cut off. Your body is pressed up against his, and there’s a pleasant warmth there, a warmth that is stirring something in his soul…

Before he can make out what it is, you pull back from him, smoothing down your pajama shirt. “Do you have nightmares a lot?”

“uh, not really, been a while since the last one. but this was the first one with you in it.” Why is he telling you all of this? He’s never even told Papyrus this much.

You smile sadly, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. He watches as it falls forward again, and his hand twitches with the urge to fix it for you. He suppresses it. “Well, I’m not dead, and I don’t plan to be anytime soon. You’re stuck with me.”

“heh. yeah.”

The two of you sit there in silence for a few minutes before you suddenly get up. 

“I need to get dressed,” you say. “I want to leave when Ashley gets back, can you be ready by then?”

He nods, and reaches down into the suitcase next to the bed, planning on throwing on whatever the first thing he touches is. 

When his hands brush against the pages of a small book, he’s understandably confused. 

“papyrus, what…?” he muses as he grips the book and pulls it out of the suitcase so he can see what it is.

Oh. It’s Papyrus’ dating handbook. With a sticky note attached that just says “AUDIBLE WINK”. 

Heh. Gotta love Papyrus.

* * *

 

By the time Ashley returns from her coffee run, you and Sans are both ready to go. Ashley hands you both some coffee (“I just got you black coffee, Sans, I hope that’s okay”) and you grab your now packed suitcases. As you head out to the car, you turn to Sans.

“I can’t believe your brother thought you needed a dating handbook.”

“shut up.”

When you came back from the room’s (positively disgusting) bathroom, Sans was holding some sort of small book. When you asked him about it, he shrugged it off, saying it was something Papyrus threw in. Of course, you are a naturally curious person, so you reached for it. 

“A  _ dating handbook _ ?” you had said, incredulous. “Oh Papyrus, you sweet misguided skeleton. That’s kind of adorable, actually.” You threw the book back to him and he stuffed it back into the suitcase immediately. 

It’s Sans’ turn to drive now, and you nab shotgun, mostly because when you get closer to the hotel, he’s going to need directions. Yeah. That’s why. Not because you’re still not sure he’s 100% okay after the nightmare he had. 

You can’t help but feel that there was more to it than he let on. He was an absolute  _ mess  _ before you woke him up, and you’re still really worried about him. Over the past few months, you’ve really grown to care for the guy, and you don’t want him to get hurt. Sans really means a lot to you now. And sometimes, you’re not quite sure what to make of that fact.

Several hours of driving along a boring interstate road later, and you’re fifteen minutes out from the hotel. Time to become the navigator, Cate. 

“Okay, you’re gonna want to take exit 35,” you say. Sans gets in the right lane. “Cool. Then after the exit, stay on highway 14 for a couple miles.”

“gotcha. thanks.” He doesn’t take his eyes off the road and you’re thankful for that. 

“This is good,” you say. “We’ll get there around three, and our dinner reservations are at 5:30, which gives us enough time to freshen up and look nice.”

Ashley pipes up from the backseat, her voice gravelly from her nap. “Do we  _ have  _ to dress fancy?”

“Well no, we don’t  _ have  _ to, but I want this dinner to go as smoothly as possible. And if we look nice, that’s one less thing for my parents to get picky about.”

“Why should we do anything for those losers?” she replies. “I mean, they  _ abandoned  _ you. If it were up to me, we’d be showing up in garbage bags with arm and head holes.”

“heh. and if they ask us what we’re wearing, we say we’re being  _ them  _ for halloween!” He reaches behind to high-five Ashley. 

You can’t help but smile. “Maybe next time, okay guys?” You look down at your phone. “Oh, take a left here, Sans.”

You direct him a few more minutes until you pull up to the hotel...and nearly freak out at its impressiveness.

“Wow,” Ashley says. “That is the fanciest hotel I have ever seen.”

There a columns supporting the awning of the hotel, and as Sans drives up to it, a worker comes up to the window, motioning for Sans to roll it down. He complies. 

“Hello, and welcome to the Marquis Inn! If you’ll exit the vehicle, I can have it taken to our valet parking and your bags to your room. Do you have a reservation?”

You pull up your father’s email. “Yes, it’s under the name Catherine Foster and it’s for room 715? Here.” You reach across Sans to show the man your phone.

He nods, satisfied, and calls to some employees standing a few feet away. “Show that to the front desk, ma’am, and you’ll be able to get your room keys. Have a wonderful stay!”

“Thanks,” you say. The three of you get out of the car and walk towards the hotel’s entrance. You watch as a couple employees get the bags out of the trunk and another gets in the car to drive it away. You haven’t had such intensive service at a hotel since, well, since you lived with your parents.

The lobby is very, very,  _ very  _ fancy. It looks like something straight out of Hollywood, worlds away from where you stayed this morning. As you make your way to the front desk, you catch yourself staring at everything from the architecture, to the decor, to the people. 

As you approach the front desk, the attendant puts on his glasses and smiles warmly. “You must by Catherine Foster.”

“Uh, yeah,” you say, more than a little taken aback. “How did you know?”

“You look an awful lot like your mother,” he says. “And your father told me to expect you to arrive with two friends. These are them?”

“Mmhmm. I have our, uh, reservation details-”

He waves your hand away. “No need for that. Room 715, correct?” When you nod, he hands you three room keys. “Here you are. Oh and your father said to tell you that your entire stay here will be financed entirely by him. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

What is he trying to do, buy your forgiveness? “Oh, thanks,” you say. “So, take the elevator over there?”

The attendant nods. “Oh, and before you go, your father has arranged for a towncar to bring you to the restaurant you are meeting at. It will be here at 5:15.”

You thank him once again, leading Ashley and Sans over to the elevator. Once you’re safely inside, the button for floor 7 pressed, you turn to them, ready to explode.

“Holy shit,” you say breathlessly. “Is this place even real?”

“Nope,” Ashley answers, as shaken as you. “We have officially crossed dimensions.”

“even mettaton’s hotel underground wasn’t as fancy as this,” Sans says. “if there’s mints on our pillows i’m leaving.”

The elevator reaches your floor and you walk down the hall until you stop outside room 715. Taking one of the room keys, you swipe it through the lock and watch as the light blinks green. You push open the door and face your room. 

Okay. Wow. 

“This isn’t a  _ room,  _ this is a  _ suite _ !” Ashley exclaims. She walks inside, careful not to walk into your bags, which are already waiting for you. “Look at this, two beds in here,” she walk further in, towards an ajar door, “and another in here! This room has its own bathroom!  _ And  _ there’s one by the door!”

“This is bigger than my apartment,” you must, eyeing the full kitchen. And, all the way across the room, there’s a door to a balcony that looks like it has an absolutely fantastic view.

“no mints on the pillows, though,” Sans says. “that would just be overkill.”

You check the time. 3:34. “Okay guys, I’m gonna take a shower. Let’s all be ready to head downstairs by 5:10, okay?”

They both agree and you head inside the extra bedroom, dragging your suitcase behind you.

* * *

 

A little over an hour later, you’re all ready to go. It took you a while to blow-dry your hair, but it looks okay now. You’ve decided to wear a pair of slacks (you’re already wearing your dress for the funeral and you  _ know  _ your parents would notice if you wore it twice) and a dark purple blouse. On the casual side of fancy. Just perfect. Making sure your makeup is all fixed up, you head into the main room. Sans is the only one in there; Ashley must still be in the bathroom. 

“Hey,” you say, getting his attention. “Ready to go?”

“oh, uh, almost,” he says a little distractedly. He’s wearing a dark blue button down shirt, and it looks like he’s trying to roll up the sleeves.

“Can I help?” you ask. He nods, and you walk over to him. You roll up his sleeves, trying your best to both make them even and avoid getting them caught on his bones. After a minute, you pull back, admiring your handiwork. “You clean up nice, Sans.”

“thanks.” Is that a blue tint to his cheekbones? “you, uh, you look nice too.”

You smile graciously. “I try.” Something catches your attention, and you take a step closer to Sans, leaning in to get a better look.

“what is it?”

“Your collar’s all messed up,” you say, reaching out and smoothing it down. “There you go.” You look up, meeting Sans’ gaze. “Now you’re perfect.”

A throat clears from behind you, and you turn around to see Ashley standing there, an amused look on her face. “You two lovebirds ready to go?”

You scoff. “Ashley, not you, too!” But you and Sans follow her out the door anyway, ready to meet your family for the first time in seven years.

Hopefully things will turn out alright.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you guys next time!


	16. Bon Appetit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoo this chapter fought me pretty hard you guys. But here it is! I really, sincerely, hope you guys enjoy this one.

The entire ten minute drive to the restaurant, your leg won’t stop shaking. Eventually, Ashley puts a hand on it, trying to get you to stop. 

“You’re shaking the whole car,” she says. 

“Can’t help it,” you answer, clenching your teeth. “Too nervous.”

Another hand—Sans’—rests comfortingly on your shoulder. “hey. it’ll be okay. it’s just one dinner. you can get through this.”

You take a deep breath, and release it slowly. Just one dinner. Just one meal with your parents. You can do this. You’ll be fine. 

By the time you arrive at the restaurant, you’ve pretty much calmed down. You glance at the sign— _ La rose éternale _ —and the elaborate portico that makes up the front of the restaurant. You’re not sure if your parents are showing off, trying to impress you, or if this is what they usually do for dinner. You have a feeling it’s the latter. 

“I’m glad we dressed up,” Ashley muses. “Good call, Cate.”

“I know my parents,” you reply dryly. “Let’s go in, they’re probably already here.”

When you walk in, an impeccably dressed man strides up to you, bowing slightly when he’s in front of you. 

“ _ Bonjour, madames et monsieur.  _ You must be Catherine Foster, yes?”

Why does everyone in this town seem to know who you are? “Yeah, that’s me.”

The man nods. “Your family is already seated. Please follow me.”

Once he turns around, Ashley glances your way with an incredulous look. You simply shrug in response. This really isn't that surprising, given your parents. 

The man leads the three of you deeper into the restaurant, and up a flight of stairs. He ushers you through a doorway into a private room, where three people sit on one side of a table. You recognize the two on the ends immediately. Lawrence and Mary Foster have always had an unmistakeable presence about them. In the middle though, is a little girl who you know to be Madison. She looks so much like Colton that it hurts your heart. 

“Here you are,” the man says. “I will be back shortly to take your orders.”

With that, he leaves, and you’re left with three pairs of eyes trained on you. You know you should say something, but in the face of your parents, your mouth is dry and you feel a little queasy. Luckily, you don’t have to make the first move. 

“Oh,  _ Catherine _ ,” your mother says, standing up from her seat. She walks over to you and grasps your hands firmly in her own. “My dear sweet girl, I thought I’d never see you again.”

_ Wouldn't have been my fault _ , you think to yourself. But instead you smile placidly back at her. “Well, I’m here now.”

Looking into your mother’s face for the first time in seven years, you realize just how much you take after her. The two of you have the same hair color, same eyes, same face shape. You imagine that in twenty five years, you’ll look very similar to the woman in front of you right now. 

A throat clears behind you and you step back from your mother. “Oh, these are my two best friends, Ashley and Sans,” you say, gesturing to each of them as you say their names. 

“Hello.”

“hey.”

To your mother’s credit, her expression doesn't change as she takes in the fact that Sans is a skeleton. Instead, she reaches forward to shake both of their hands. 

“Any friends of Catherine’s must be truly good people,” she says. Wow. She’s  _ really  _ laying down the flattery. You just wish she’d stop using your full name. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

She turns around and looks expectantly at your father, who then makes a big show of standing up. Asshole. He comes around the table and nods your way. “Catherine.”

You nod in the same way. “Father.”

He looks pointedly at Ashley and Sans. “These are your friends?”

“They are,” you say, the challenging tone in his voice now echoed in yours. “Do you have a problem with that?”

The ice in your voice catches him off guard. He puts his hands up in a placating manner. “No, no problem. Just making conversation.”

This is weird. For once in your life, you’re putting  _ him  _ at a disadvantage, and not the other way around. It’s oddly empowering. 

“Oh! Madison, sweetheart, come here,” you mother says. Your niece gets up from the table and comes to her side, allowing you to get a better look at her. You lean down to match her height. 

“Hi, Madison,” you say quietly. “I’m your aunt Catherine. But you can call me Cate, if you want. That’s what my friends call me.”

You don't miss the way your father’s lip curls when you tell her your nickname. Ever since you came up with it in high school, your parents have always refused to call you Cate. It’s not proper, they say. 

“If I call you Cate, can we be friends?” Madison asks. Her voice is soft and quiet, and your heart melts just a little bit. 

“Of course, sweetie,” you say. “I’d love to be your friend.”

She smiles then, the first smile you’ve ever seen from her. Before you can blink, she's got her arms around your neck and you’re captured in a hug. 

“You’re nice,” she whispers in your ear. “My daddy said you were nice and now I know he was right.”

At the mention of Colton, your eyes start to water. You were never sure going into this if Madison would have any idea who you are. But with this one simple little sentence, those fears are washed away. Colton talked to Madison about you, and this, more than anything else, makes you miss him. You have never felt such poignant regret before in your life. 

As you kneel here, your arms wrapped around your niece, you make yourself a promise. You will always be there for Madison. Screw your parents, you still don’t give a shit about them. But for Madison? You will make every effort to be the best aunt you possibly can. 

Madison pulls back from the hug and you release her, using you thumb to wipe away the tears forming in your eyes. She’s looking at Sans with curiosity, and you're grateful that it isn’t fear. 

“Are you Auntie Cate’s boyfriend?” she blurts out. You lock eyes with Ashley, who’s trying not to laugh, and then with Sans, who looks at you with a panicked expression on his face. 

You feel that. “Oh, no sweetie!” you say quickly. “Sans and I are just friends!”

She looks disappointed. “Oh.”

Your father clears his throat. “Yes. Well. Let’s sit back down before the server comes back.”

The three of them take their seats, and you, Ashley, and Sans fill in the remaining seats. You sit across from Madison, with Sans on your left and Ashley on your right. You pick up the menu in front of you and open it up. 

Oh. The whole menu’s in French. 

“hey, uh, cate?” Sans whispers in your ear. “i can’t read this.”

“Cate, what the heck is a jambon?” Ashley says just as quietly. “This is French, yeah? You can translate?”

You’re fairly proficient in French. That’s something that tends to happen when your parents get you a private language tutor at the age of six. It was something you were pretty good at, and you’ve managed to keep a good grasp on the language. You have an app on your phone that you use to practice every so often. 

“Yeah, I can translate,” you say. You glance over the menu, translating from French to English in your head. “So the  _ jambon avec lègumes  _ is ham with vegetables, looks like asparagus and carrots. Um, then there’s  _ escargot au beurre _ , snails in butter.”

“oh. snails. tori’d like that. ”

You nod distractedly, scanning the menu. 

“Catherine, you still keep up with your French!” You look up to see your mother beaming at you. 

“Yeah, Mom,” you say. “I always liked learning French.” You suppose it makes sense, that she figured you dropped everything related to your family. And you did drop most things, like your full name and ballet lessons. But you kept up with your French. 

Before you can say anything further, the waiter returns. He smiles politely and tells you all about the different wines the restaurant offers. Your mother is quick to capitalize on that, ordering a glass of Pinot Grigio. Your father orders a fifth of whisky, and you pray to all the gods you know that they’re being driven away from the restaurant. If not, you’d take Madison back to the hotel with you. 

“I’ll have a Virgin Mary,” you say. 

“same, but make mine bloody,” Sans says. You look at him surprise. “what? it’s like fancy ketchup.”

“He’s not wrong,” Ashley says. “I’ll have a gin and tonic.”

Well. Looks like you’re the only one staying sober tonight. You and Madison, anyway. 

“Do you have apple juice?” she asks, looking up at the waiter with a pleading expression on her face. He practically melts under her gaze. 

“Of course we do! One big glass for the little miss, coming right up!”

He leaves, and the atmosphere at the table sombers instantly. It’s like a switch was flipped. 

Your mother just crumples, like a puppet whose strings were cut. “I-I wish Colton were here to see you again.”

And there it is. Just like that, the fragile hold you had over your emotions is snapped. Now that she's said it, the scenarios run through your head, one after another. Giving Colton a tight hug, never wanting to let him go. Watching Madison interact with her parents.  _ Fuck,  _ Madison. She must be so unbelievably strong, to be going through the unimaginable at such a young age. 

Tears slip from your eyes and you bite your lower lip to stop it from trembling. You close your eyes and pinch the bridge of your nose, trying desperately to stop. 

But then you feel small, soft fingers at your eyes, wiping away your tears. You open your eyes to see Madison, face full of concern, leaning over the table. “It’s okay, Auntie Cate,” you say. “Mommy and Daddy are watching over us from heaven. Grandma said so.”

You hear your mother crying anew, but Madison’s words are touching you in a way that stops your tears. To see a little girl believing in something so fully and to try to make others believe in it too, well, it fills you with an indescribable emotion. 

You nod. “Yeah, Madison. That’s right. They’re up there, and they’re making sure that we’re doing okay.”

She solemnly nods, and sits back in her seat. You smile softly at her. She’s a good kid. You’re so proud of Colton and Amelia for who Madison is turning out to be. You hope that they’re proud of her too, wherever they are. 

Your father clears his throat, causing everyone at the table to look at him. “Catherine, may I speak to you outside for a moment?” he says in a voice you remember from your childhood as being saved for the most serious of talks. 

“Uh, yeah,” you say, pushing back your chair and standing up. You feel Sans’ hand on your arm and you look down at him. He gives you a questioning expression, his head tilted towards your father. You try your best to reassure him that you'll be fine, and follow your father put into the hallway. 

“What is it?” you ask once you’re out of earshot. No point in beating around the bush. 

He takes a deep breath, and your anxiety skyrockets. “I’m very happy that you and Madison seem to be getting along well.”

Where is he going with this? “Well, she seems like a good kid. She’s pretty easy to get along with.”

He nods before continuing. “Well, that’s good. I-uh, well, Colton and Amelia had a will.”

You’re not surprised to hear that. A rich married couple with a kid, it makes sense that they’d have a will. 

“In the will, they set up a trust for Madison,” he says. “She’ll get the money when she turns eighteen. That’s not the problem.”

“What  _ is  _ the problem?” You have a feeling you know what it is, and you’re not sure how to feel about it. 

“In their will, Colton and Amelia name  _ you  _ as Madison’s guardian.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mwah ha ha ha ha
> 
> also Sans loves bloody marys and no one can convince me otherwise


	17. Renegade*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so. um. sexual content warning for this chapter, kiddos. It's after the second line break, whole thing in italics. It'll make sense once you get there, I promise.
> 
> But yeah! Just finished up my senior dance recitals, which means it's time to start looking for a job I think. Bleh.

There are so many thoughts bouncing around your head, demanding your attention. It’s almost too much to keep track of. 

_ Colton trusted me- _

_ Colton didn’t want Mom and Dad to raise Madison- _

_ Shit, now _ I’m  _ supposed to raise Madison.  _

“Is that why I’m here?” you find yourself asking. “Is the only reason I was invited to Colton’s funeral because he put me in his will? Because he wants me to take care of Madison?”

Your father doesn’t answer you, and that’s all the confirmation you need. 

“So what was your plan, Dad? Leave in me in the dark? Have me grieve all by myself? God, you’re so full of shit.”

You try to turn away from him, but his hand grabs your arm. “Catherine, listen-”

“No,  _ you  _ listen!” you cry, ripping your arm out of his grasp. “Did you know? Did you know that Colton and Amelia wanted me to raise Madison?”

“No,” he says. “I had no idea, or-”

“Or what? You would have forced him to name you as her guardian instead? You know what, Dad? I’m pissed that they didn't ask me, but I understand why they did it. Colton would never have wanted his kid to go through what we did, what  _ I  _ did. No kid deserves that.”

His eyes are shifting, like he’s looking for an escape. “Catherine, keep your voice down!”

“ _ No!” _ you say. “You are  _ done  _ being able to control me. You kicked me out of your life seven years ago, and you are  _ not  _ getting my obedience back now.”

He is silent, and his silence calms you down. You take a few breaths, and feel the rage that was bubbling within you subside. 

“So I’m Madison’s guardian,” you say. “What does that mean, exactly? Am I taking her home with me? Do I need to come back to get her in a month?”

“Madison's bags are packed,” he says. “She's ready to move with you, provided that Child Services deems you an acceptable guardian.”

You lean up against the wall behind you. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“They’ll ask you some questions about your financial and living situations, and make sure you’re able to raise her.”

“I have a two bedroom apartment,” you say. And Sans—he lives a couple floors down. He and his brother Papyrus could help me with her.”

The way his mouth twitches when you mention Sans sets you on edge. “Right. That... _ skeleton  _ that you brought with you.”

“Sans is a great guy,” you say, immediately rushing to defend him. “He was there for me after I heard about Colton. And he came a thousand miles to support me. Makes him a better person than you ever were.”

You’d really like to punch that disapproving frown right off his face. “Yes, well. It’s not my place to tell you who you can and cannot associate with, but know that I don't approve.”

You’re not surprised that Foster hiring monsters was just a publicity stunt. The likelihood of your father being a champion of monster rights because it’s a good thing to do was just too slim a chance. At least you know where he stands, now. 

“We should get back,” he says after a minute. “It’s doubtless that your mother has explained to the others why we’re out here by now.”

“And you just  _ had  _ to bring me outside to tell me.”

“Well, look at how you reacted. I’m glad I did.”

You  _ really  _ don’t appreciate your father treating you like a child who just had a temper tantrum, but you keep your mouth shut and follow him back into the room. You immediately take your seat and smile at Madison, who’s looking at you with renewed interest. 

“I never heard anybody yell at Grandpa before,” she whispers. Of course, since she’s four, her “whisper” carries across the entire room. “Oh, and Grandma said I can tell you that I’m gonna come live with you now. Is that okay?” She leans forward. “If we have to share a bed, that’s okay. I promise I don’t snore.”

You smile. “No worries, sweetie. You can have your own bedroom, with your own bed and everything.”

“Okay!” She sits back and takes a sip of her apple juice. Your Virgin Mary is here too, you barely even noticed. The drinks must have arrived while you were with your father in the hallway. You pick it up and take a sip, realizing just how much it tastes like ketchup. Sans was right.

* * *

 

The rest of the meal passes calmly. You’re able to push down the simmering resentment you have towards your father and you tell Madison all about Toby. She says she loves dogs, for which you’re glad. 

Soon enough, the meal is over, your father reminds you of when the funeral is, and you all say your goodbyes. To your surprise, Madison not only gives you a hug, but Sans and Ashley as well. Looking at their expressions, they’re even more surprised than you are. 

Once the three of you are back in the car, Sans and Ashley start breaking down the evening in. very colorful terms. 

“that  _ bastard-” _

“That absolute dick! We heard everything you guys said in the hall, by the way. It wasn’t soundproof.”

“Oh no, I swore in front of Madison!” you groan, putting your head in your hands. 

“it’s okay,” Sans says. “you’re still a better guardian than your dad. i wanted to dunk on him so bad.”

Dunk on him…? You decide it’s better not to ask. 

“But do you know what Madison said to Sans after you guys left?” Ashley says with a mischievous smile. “Oh man, it was so funny.”

“you don't have to tell her,” Sans says quickly. You cock an eyebrow. 

“Okay, now I  _ have  _ to know.”

Ashley smiles sweetly. “She asked Sans why you’re not dating. She asked if he didn’t think you were pretty. To which Sans was like ‘actually i think she’s really pretty but we’re just friends’.”

That blue tinge you sometimes see on Sans’ cheekbones? Oh, that’s a full-on  _ blush  _ now. Everything suddenly makes sense. 

“ashley, c’mon. that’s not what i said.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, okay. What you  _ actually  _ said is “i love cate so much, i wanna have her babies.’ Come on, Sans. It's okay to think someone’s pretty. Heck, I think Cate’s pretty, too.”

“Aw, thanks, Ashley,” you say. You’re trying to cover up the fact that you, too, are blushing. “I think you're pretty, too. And Sans. You looked very handsome tonight. Blue looks good on you.”

You take sick pleasure in watching his blush deepen. Serves him right, for all the times he’s done it to you. 

“But seriously. Cate. Are you doing okay?” Ashley asks. “Colton made you Madison’s guardian without even asking you.”

You smile sadly. “I bet he never thought anything like this would happen. He probably did that just on the off chance that he and Amelia  _ did  _ die. And they did, so now I have a four-year-old to take care of. Oh man, when Friedman starts up again, I’m gonna have to change my hours around. Dad said her birthday’s next month. Does that mean she’ll be in kindergarten? Oh god, I am  _ not  _ ready for this.”

“hey. it’s okay. you’ll figure it out. and you have us to help you. paps, too.”

“There’s no shame in asking for help,” Ashley agrees. “Madison won’t think any less of you. Heck, she already  _ loves  _ you. It’s gonna be okay.”

You slump back in your seat, letting out a huff of air. “I certainly hope so.”

When you get back to the hotel, all three of you are exhausted. But it’s only eight, so you all decide to watch a movie. The hotel room has a bunch of movies to choose from, so you go with Beauty and the Beast. It’s a feel-good classic for you, but as you’re so tired from the day’s events, you start slipping off into sleep…

* * *

 

_ The dark room is lit by the blue of his magic, and you shiver in anticipation as you wait for him.  _

_ “i’m coming, sweetheart,” he says. “like you’ll be in a second.” _

_ You groan. “No jokes. Hurry up.” _

_ He laughs and your center coils in delight. “okay, cate. you ready?” _

_ Instead of answering, you pull him down into a possessive kiss, your mouth opening in a moan as his hands skirt down your sides.  _

_ “mm, i love the noises you make,” he says as he pulls away from you. You feel his hand skating downwards and you let out a gasp as he circles your clit. “just like that,” he says. “keep making sounds for me, sweetheart.” _

_ You know it won’t be long before you snap, but you try to prolong this feeling as long as possible. It feels perfect. It feels right.  _

_ As your legs start to spasm, you find yourself letting his name slip from your lips in a heated moan.  _

_ “Sans….” _

You wake up with a start, your head jerking up like you’re on a rollercoaster. You look around and see Sans and Ashley on the couch with you, both asleep. The credits are rolling. 

The uncomfortable feeling in your crotch brings you back to what you just experienced, and you feel your face go red as a tomato as you process it. 

You just had a sex dream. About  _ Sans,  _ no less. What the hell. He’s you’re  _ friend,  _ you can’t—but you did. And you’re not sure how to feel about it. Because it was a  _ good  _ sex dream, but it was about  _ Sans _ . And you know that if you try to think about it any longer, you’ll give yourself a headache. Plus you’d really like to change into pajamas and sleep in your bed, as far away from Sans as you possibly can. 

As you start to sit up, your back arches and your arms extend in a stretch. Now this would be fine normally, but your left elbow hits Sans right in the face.

“uhnn,” he groans as his eyesockets open. Oh no. You must still be feeling the after effects of that dream because that noise coming from him is bringing your blush back up. He looks over at you and you are so, so thankful that the room is dark. 

“cate?” His voice is affected by sleep, making it deeper, gravelly—okay, that’s it. You really, really need to stop. “is the movie over? what time is it?”

“Late!” you say, your voice cracking a little. Oh, this is not good. “It’s late, and the funeral is at ten tomorrow, so we need to be up early so we can go, which means that I am heading to bed now, goodnight!”

You practically trip yourself in your efforts to get off the couch. 

“woah, cate. slow down. is something wrong? is it about madison, because like ashley said, she loves you. you guys’ll do just fine. you have nothing to worry about.”

Oh, if only he knew. “Thanks, Sans. Means a lot, but I do need to get to bed now, so goodnight!”

“night,” he says as you finally extricate yourself from the couch and practically sprint to your room, closing the door behind you. 

Time to try to never think about this ever again.

* * *

 

Sans is too sleepy to try and understand why you acted the way you did. He’s a little worried, though. Maybe you had a nightmare? He didn’t want to outright ask you about it in case it was too personal, but he woke up a few minutes before you elbowed him. He heard you making whimpering noises, and he’s pretty sure you were having some sort of nightmare. Maybe he should have woken you up, like you did for him yesterday morning. Oh well. Nothing he can do about it now. 

His thoughts turn to the, ahem,  _ lovely  _ dinner with your family. Your mother seems okay, at least when she was talking to him. And Madison is a little spitfire. He has a feeling the two of you are going to be best friends. 

But then there’s you father.  _ Oh,  _ your father. There are so many things Sans would like to do to your father. And he has a feeling that you’d let him, even if you knew what they were. He has a lot of unresolved feelings regarding absentee fathers. But hopefully after the funeral, Lawrence will lay off of you and Madison. It’s a really good thing that you’re taking her away from here, he thinks. And he means what he said earlier. You will have his full support, and Papyrus’ too. 

Together, you’ll all make sure she turns out alright. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heh.
> 
> Next chapter's the funeral, folks. Good times.


	18. Wakes and Pains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw Finding Dory yesterday and it was really really cute. I also read a REAL BOOK for once, which was pretty exciting. 
> 
> And then I spent a good chunk of today writing this chapter!

You wake up early the next morning, after a (thankfully) dreamless sleep. After a while of simply lying there, you stretch and sit up. 

Today is the day of your brother’s funeral. You’re still having a hard time grasping that fact. Never in a million years did you think that it would end this way, you at your brother’s funeral before you even turned thirty. Colton was always there when you were growing up, that older brother you always looked up to. Even when he never contacted you over those seven years, you knew in your gut that it was only to keep your parents happy. You’d like to think that he would have reached out to you. But now you’ll never know for sure. 

Sighing to yourself, you get up off the bed and rummage through your suitcase, pulling out a long-sleeved black dress you forgot you’d had before this trip. You really don’t wear a lot of dresses. You pull it on, followed by some black nylons. They stretch just a  _ little  _ too much over your skin, and you take that as a reminder of just how long it’s been since you had to wear nylons. 

After successfully dressing yourself, you put on makeup and head out into the main room of the suite, where Sans and Ashley are dressed as well, watching some TV show.

“You guys ready to go?” you ask, subtly trying to avoid looking Sans right in the eyesockets. It doesn’t help that he’s wearing a suit today.

_ Okay Cate, you  _ really  _ need to stop this train of thought right now. _

Luckily, Ashley comes to your rescue.

“We were just waiting for you,” she says. “You’re ready?”

You nod. “As I’ll ever be.”

* * *

 

You’re transported to the funeral in another town car provided by your father. It feels more than a little juvenile, being chauffeured around like this. 

Also, you’re being squished next to Sans, and that’s not very helpful right now.

You’re fidgeting the whole way there, and you hope that the others think it’s just because of the funeral. But once you get there and Ashley pulls you aside after leaving the town car, you know she suspects something.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asks. “I mean, besides the fact that we’re at your brother’s funeral. You just seem extra agitated and I wanted to know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Maybe telling Ashley about the dream will help take your mind off of it? It’s worth a shot, you decide. 

“What I am about to tell you is something you cannot breathe a word of to Sans,” you whisper, in case someone’s trying to eavesdrop. “I’m serious.”

Now Ashley looks extra confused. “Cate, if it’s about what your dad said? Like we told you, we could hear  _ everything  _ the two of you were saying.”

“No, no, it’s not about that,” you say. “Listen. Last night, I had a...a dream. About Sans.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “A dream? Really, that’s it?”

“It wasn’t a normal dream!” you say quickly. “It was a, uh, you know…”

Her eyes suddenly light up in comprehension. “Oh my god. You had a sex dream about Sans!”

Panicked, you shush her. “Tell the whole world, why don’t you? But yeah. I did.”

“Well, was it good? Because if it was, I don’t see the problem.”

You let out a groan of exasperation. “Yes, it was good, and  _ that’s  _ the problem! Because it was about Sans, who is my  _ friend. _ ”

Ashley simply looks at you, a coy smile on her face. “I hate to break it to you, Cate, but people have sex dreams about their friends. It’s a common occurrence. If it makes you feel better, it probably means nothing. But,” and here her smile turns devilish, “it could  _ also  _ mean that you want to  _ bone  _ the skeleton.”

You hate your life. “Well, I don’t,” you say in a huff. “Sans and I are  _ great  _ friends, and I don’t ever want to date him, much less have sex with him!”

She shrugs. “Then it was just a fluke. You can ignore it. But if you want to know what I really think? Methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

She walks away before you can answer her, and you’re forced to jog towards the door of the funeral home to catch up with her. When you enter the building, you’re immediately sombered. There are pictures of Colton and Amelia on posterboard all around the room, and at the other end of it, their two coffins, side-by-side. Closed, of course. You’re surprised their bodies were recovered at all, having crashlanded in the Atlantic ocean. No amount of embalming could make their bodies easy to look at. 

There’s a long line of people waiting to pay their respects to the dead, so you decide to look at some of the pictures. You find Sans as you scan the room, and you walk up to him, smiling when you see the picture he’s looking at. 

“That’s a family portrait,” you say quietly. He jumps a little and turns around, relaxing when he sees it’s you. 

“i could tell. how old were you in this one?”

You step forward so you’re standing next to him, and look more closely at the picture. You and Colton are sitting in chairs, with your parents standing behind you, your father behind you and your mother behind Colton. Colton and your father are wearing matching suits, with ties that match your and your mother’s purple dresses. Both you and Colton are smiling, while your parents are straight-faced. 

“I think I was twelve here,” you say. “And Colton was sixteen. You see how we’re the only ones smiling?”

Sans nods. 

“Well, that was a running joke of ours. In every family portrait from when I was four, Colton and I would smile right before the picture was taken. It drove our parents crazy; they wanted us to be as serious as they were. But the two of us thought that was for boring people.”

“seems like you two were really close.”

You sigh. “Yeah. Oh hey, here’s my high school graduation.” You gesture to a photo a few feet away, and lead Sans over to it. In the picture, you’re grinning and holding your diploma as Colton gives you a bear hug from behind. “Oh man, I looked ridiculous back then. What was I doing with my hair?”

“i think it’s kinda cute,” Sans says. “but you’re right. looks much better now.”

Before you can say anything in response, he walks away, and you’re left with a red face. You notice that the queue of people waiting to see the coffins has gone down, so you go to stand in the line. 

When it’s your turn, you start with Amelia.

“Hey, Amelia,” you whisper, hand brushing her coffin. “I wasn’t around long enough to get to know you. My fault, not yours. But you made Colton really happy when I was still there, and I guess you made him happy after I left, too. Sorry I couldn’t come to the wedding.

“I just want to let you know that I’m gonna do whatever I can to raise Madison right. I can already tell that you guys were doing a great job, and I want to keep that going. I promise.”

Then you move over to the coffin on the right, the one where your brother is resting. 

“Colton,” you say. “Jesus Christ, what do I say? You were my big brother, you were the one I always turned to when I was hurt, or needed help. You were always there for me.

“I’m really sorry that we never spoke after I published the thesis. I always thought we would, I never thought…” You’re cut off by the swelling of your throat. But you can’t stop now. If you don’t say these things to Colton now, you’ll never get another chance. So you swallow and try again.

“I never thought you’d just be gone like that. One stupid little accident and I never get to see my big brother again. I hate it. I wish I could do something to change it, because if anyone on this planet deserved to live, it was you. 

“I’m glad that you chose me to be Madison’s guardian, even if you didn’t ask me first. I’m so happy that, after all this time apart, you can still trust me. I promise I’ll do my best to help her stay a good kid. You’ll be proud of  _ me  _ for a change, instead of the other way around. And Madison is a good kid. She’ll make you proud, too. Just you wait.”

As you talk, you feel tears spilling down your cheeks. But you don’t care. You needed to say this, to give yourself closure. It’s a good thing you remembered to bring tissues, you think as you pull one out of your purse. You dab at your eyes as you step away from the coffin. 

Trying to bring yourself away from a total meltdown, you glance around the room, your attention drawn by a group of men and women in expensive suits talking in the corner, each with a glass of wine. You subtly make your way closer to them, thinking that you can eavesdrop on their conversation to distract yourself. No such luck, as one of the men notices you almost immediately.

“You must be Catherine!” he proclaims, all smiles. You can’t help but feel that this is a highly inappropriate attitude for a funeral. “You look just like your mother! Don’t you all agree?”

The others all nod. 

The man extends a hand. “My name is Miles Fry, senior member of the Foster Pharmaceuticals Board of Directors. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Catherine.”

You shake his hand, trying not to show how uncomfortable you are. “Nice to meet you, too,” you manage to say. “Sorry it had to be at a place like this, though.”

Miles nods solemnly. “Yes, Colton’s passing was a great blow to all of us at the company. He was a young man with such potential.”

“He had great ideas about the future of the company,” a woman says. “Oh, I’m Rebecca Olsen. You can just call me Becca. But yes. Colton was planning on changing the way the company manufactures its products. He was doing extensive research on ways to minimize the company’s impact on the environment.”

That’s...wow. It’s not entirely surprising, but it brings a warmth to your heart, that Colton was trying to change the company. From the sound of it, he even read your thesis to get ideas. “That’s incredible,” you say. “Do you think my father-”

“Oh no, your father would  _ never  _ implement those policies,” Miles interrupts. “While Colton’s work is admirable, it would have cost the company a pretty penny. We would have had to slice worker’s wages to maintain a profit.”

“Or,” Becca chimes in, “like Colton suggested, we could lower the paychecks to the CEO and the Board. Come on, Miles. Would your quality of life  _ really  _ be affected if you lost half your paycheck? Half of us are all just sitting on our money anyway.”

Miles smiles in a way that doesn’t quite sit right with you. “Well, anyway, Lawrence won’t allow it. No sense in debating it, I say.”

Becca sighs. “At least he approved that grant you proposed for Jenny. Poor girl.

“Who’s Jenny?” you ask.

“The pilot’s daughter,” Miles says. “She has a severe case of cystic fibrosis, and the money her father made was hardly enough to cover their medical bills. Her mother’s a waitress, she can barely afford to put food on the table. So the rest of the Board and I decided we would set up a grant to pay Jenny’s medical bills, indefinitely.”

Becca smiles. “It’s the most selfless idea Miles has ever had.”

“Well, that sounds great,” you say. “I hope the money helps.”

“Me too,” Miles says. 

After that, you spot your parents and Madison entering the room. You politely excuse yourself and make your way towards them. Madison’s eyes light up when she sees you, and she runs forward to give you a hug, which you accept with open arms.

“Hey, kiddo,” you say. You kneel down so you’re at eye-level with her. “How are you doing?”

“Okay,” she says. You smile sadly at her. “Mommy and Daddy are over there, right?” She points to the coffins. 

You nod. “Yep, they’re in their special beds,” you say.

“Can  _ I  _ have a special bed?”

Oh man, you love this kid. “Sure, sweetie. When you’re really, really old.”

She seems to ponder this for a moment. “Is a hundred really really old?”

“It certainly is!”

She brightens a little when you say this. “Okay! I can wait until I’m one hundred!”

You ruffle her head and stand up, facing your parents. Your mother’s eyes are red, and the stern expression that usually rests on your father’s face has only intensified. 

“The pictures look really nice,” you say. “Good job putting them together.”

“Pictures?” Madison asks. “Can I see?”

You look at your parents. They both shrug. You turn to look back down to Madison. 

“Sure! Wanna see your dad when he was little like you?”

“Uh-huh!”

You spend a good hour showing Madison different pictures of Colton, and pointing out who you are in those pictures, too. When you show her the picture from your high school graduation she says that your hair is “silly but you’re still pretty”. You tell her thanks. 

You mean it.

* * *

 

Around noon the funeral party moves outdoors, where a catered lunch has been set up. You rejoin with Ashley and Sans, and the three of you share your funeral experiences.

“what’s cystic fibrosis?” Sans asks when you mention Jenny.

“It’s a genetic disorder,” you say. “Affects the lungs mostly. It can make it harder to breathe, give you lots of lung problems, stuff like that. People who have it usually don’t live past forty.”

“oh. poor jenny.”

You nod. “But hopefully the grant from Foster helps. Apparently, not everyone there is Satan.”

“Who knew?” Ashley says. “But seriously, that’s really nice of them.”

You lie back on the grass, stretching out and looking up at the blue sky. “So my dad says that a social worker from Child Services is coming to the hotel room later to interview me. Just to make sure that I’m a suitable guardian for Madison.”

“you’ll ace it,” Sans says. He lies down next to you and gestures at a cloud floating across the sky. “nothing will be able to  _ cloud  _ their judgement.”

You groan and elbow him in the side. 

“hey now, cate. no need to get  _ cirrus  _ with me.”

Ashley is laughing. You hate her. “You’re the worst, Sans.”

He scoots closer to you. “don’t mock my  _ stratus _ -gy.”

“Boo,” you say. “That one was awful.” You try to roll away from him but his arm reaches out to snag you around the waist. The unexpected contact has you freezing in response. Your mind can’t help but drift back to the dream, where Sans held you in a different context…

_ Cate. Seriously. Stop it.  _

“aw, don’t leave me to be a  _ bonely  _ skeleton.” He pulls you closer to him. You don’t fight it. You find yourself inexplicably okay with this. Turning to face him, you find yourself inches away from his face. He’s got a goofy smile on his face. If you just leaned forward a  _ little  _ bit, you could-

Wait, what the fuck are you doing? Sans is your friend, you  _ cannot  _ think about kissing him. It’s just the stupid dream, messing with your head. You sit up, saying something about getting more food, and practically bolt. You are  _ not  _ going to kiss Sans.

Not if you can help it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh, cate honey. sweetheart. just you wait.


	19. Moving Along

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man I'm hitting a part in this story that just makes it so easy to write, you guys! I'm so excited!!!!!!!

“What are your living arrangements like, Ms. Foster?”

“I have a two-bedroom apartment. It has one bathroom, but the bathroom has a shower that doubles as a tub, and two sinks. I have a dog named Toby.”

The social worker—Ms. Jacobs is her name—straightens her collar. “And you live alone? No roommates or significant others living with you?”

You shake your head. “It’s just me.”

She nods. “As part of the will, Colton and Amelia Foster have set aside a portion of Madison’s trust to be given to you as child support on a monthly basis. Setting that aside, what is your approximate monthly income?”

You think for a second. “I make about...fifty thousand dollars a year. I spread it out over all twelve months, even though the university is only run for ten of those months.”

“And does that salary allow you to live comfortably?”

“Mmhmm. I live pretty well within my means.”

She pushes up her glasses and scribbles something down on the notepad in front of here. “I just have one more question for you, Ms. Foster.”

That’s a relief. It feels like this lady’s been questioning you for hours. It doesn’t help that Madison’s future literally hangs in the balance. “Ask away,” you say.

“How do you feel about Madison coming to live with you? Be honest, please.”

You take a deep breath. “Well, if I’m being honest, I’m...nervous. Madison's a really sweet kid, and I’m not sure if I’m cut out to raise her. But I’m also excited, in a way. I want her to have a good life, and I think I can give her that.”

Ms. Jacobs smiles warmly and extends a hand. “Well, congratulations, Ms. Foster. In my professional opinion, you are perfectly fit to raise this child. In a few months I will conduct a home visit to check in, but until then I wish both of you the best of luck.”

You shake her hand. “Thank you so much.”

Ms. Jacobs leaves, and once the door closes, the door to the separate bedroom bursts open and Ashley and Sans rush you, corralling you in a hug. 

“We knew you could do it!” Ashley exclaims. “I’m so proud of you!”

“bet she didn’t think twice about letting you raise madison,” Sans adds. “you’re perfect.”

You know he means as a guardian, but you still feel a little twinge at his words. You blame the emotional strain of the day. 

“I should probably call my dad and tell him the good news,” you say. 

“And after you do  _ that  _ pleasant task, let’s do something fun!” Ashley says. “We could order pizza and watch terrible movies.”

“that sounds like the perfect idea. you order the pizza, i pick the movies?”

The two of them continue to plan your evening, and you call your father. He picks up after the second ring. 

“What did the social worker say?” he says. Way to be polite, Dad. 

“She says I can take care of Madison,” you answer. “According to her, I am ‘perfectly fit’ for it.”

“Well that’s wonderful,” your father says. “I booked your hotel room for you for three nights, is that correct?”

“It is.”

“Would it be possible for you to come and pick her up tomorrow and have her stay the last night with you? Your mother and I have a flight to China to catch tomorrow night.”

You take a deep breath. “Yes, that’s fine. Will around noon work for you?”

“That’s perfect. See you tomorrow.” He hangs up, and you're left with a vacant line. 

While you’re standing here, phone on your hand, you think of someone else you really, really need to call. 

As expected, he picks up immediately. 

“Hello Cate!” Papyrus’ voice rings out over the line, and you’re glad you remembered to turn the volume down. 

“Hey Papyrus! How’s Toby doing?”

“Very well! He has enjoyed our walks immensely!”

You smile. “And he’s being good, right? He hasn’t given you any problems?”

“No problems at all! He is a good dog!”

Don’t you know it. “That’s awesome! Oh, and guess what? I can officially bring Madison home now! She’ll be very excited to meet you.”

“That’s wonderful! I am very excited to meet her as well! Now I have another small human to do puzzles with!”

“Yep! Alright Papyrus, talk to you later. I’ll tell the others you said hi!”

“Nyeh! Give my lazy brother Sans a kiss on the cheek from me!” Then he hangs up, and not for the first time today, you’re wondering what kind of cosmic joke the Universe is trying to pull on you. 

“how’re toby and paps?” You jump a little out of surprise, not expecting Sans’ voice to come from right behind you. Sheepishly, you turn around. 

“They’re good,” you say. “Papyrus is really excited to meet Madison.” You do  _ not _ , however, tell Sans what Papyrus asked you to do for him.

Sans simply nods in return. “yeah, sounds like him. i tried to find the worst looking horror movie i could for us to watch, how does that sound?”

“If I can make fun of it, I’m happy.” The two of you sit down on the couch in the room, joined shortly by Ashley. 

“I got a  _ lot  _ of pizza,” she says. “Hope you two are hungry.”

And with that, you all settle in to watch the poorly made slasher film that Sans picked.

* * *

 

“Ten bucks says the hot guy’s the first one to die.”

Ashley looks at you incredulously. “No way. It’s obviously gonna be the blonde chick. They  _ always  _ die first.”

A few minutes later, you’re watching the blonde chick get hacked to death in the shower. That blood is  _ not  _ going to come out of those curtains. 

“Pay up,” Ashley demands, holding out her hand. Sighing, you reach over the back of the couch to get your purse. You pull it down as you sit again and fish out your wallet, handing a Hamilton to Ashley. 

“ _ Thank  _ you,” she says, tucking it away. 

“i don’t understand humans,” Sans says. “who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to go to a haunted house and take a shower in the bathroom?”

“Horror movie chicks,” you and Ashley answer simultaneously. 

“They're a special breed of human that exists only in movies like these,” you say. “They make normal people feel better about themselves. See, I would  _ never  _ be that stupid. So watching someone else make those stupid mistakes shows me that I’m smart.”

Sans cocks his head. “you don’t need to compare yourself to girls like that to seem smart, cate.”

Dark rooms are truly a blessing. 

“Oh hey, you were close, Cate!” Ashley says. “Hot guy’s getting dismembered right next to the corpse of his girlfriend.”

“How romantic,” you say. “Together, even in death.”

Sans snorts. “look at how their ‘blood’ runs. it’s totally ketchup. too red.”

“Ah, ketchup,” you say. “The favorite prop of every low-budget horror movie.”

“i’m offended. ketchup deserves better than that.”

The three of you watch the movie with varying degrees of mockery, and once it’s over and the pizza devoured, you all get ready for bed. Once you’re in your pajamas, face washed, teeth brushed, you decide to go outside on the balcony that’s attached to the room. 

It’s a clear night, stars a plenty. You wish you could see more, but the light pollution from downtown Fayetteville is blocking most of them. Only the bright few can be seen. 

There were nights, when you lived with your family in the capital, where you’d sneak out onto the roof of the family mansion, just to sit out there and stargaze. Colton was the one who showed you how to get up there and where the slippery spots were. One time, when you were thirteen, he slipped, and ended up breaking his ankle. Your parents grounded both of you and forbade you from ever going on the roof again. Of course, once Colton’s ankle was better, the two of you were right back up there. You were much more careful all those other times. 

The sound of the balcony door sliding open breaks your focus, and you turn around to see Sans stepping out to join you. 

“hey,” he says. “it’s a nice night.”

“That it is,” you say. “Just wish I could see more stars. You know, some day I’d like to just drive off into the country and go camping in an empty field. Out there, I bet I could see  _ millions  _ of stars.”

He steps closer, shutting the balcony door behind him. You notice he’s changed back into his hoodie, hands in the pockets. “you’d have to go pretty far to see that.”

“Maybe Montana,” you say. “Out in the Rockies, there’s plenty of places with no cities around for miles. Madison and I could go together, when she’s older.”

“you’re really taking this whole guardian thing in stride,” he says. “madison was practically dumped on your lap, and here you are, making plans for the future.”

You let out a sigh, leaning forward over the balcony’s edge. “I’m Madison’s guardian. That’s an indisputable and irreversible fact. What I do with that fact is up to me. And I think I should do the best I can for her. I’d want the same if I had a kid, you know? So I have to make plans for her—for  _ our  _ future.”

While you talk, Sans moves up to the edge of the balcony and leans over it, mimicking you. “i can understand that. bet you can’t wait to pick her up tomorrow.”

The thought causes you to smile. “You’d be right. I hope she feels the same way.”

* * *

 

You would also be right. When you pull up to your parents’ house on the outskirts of Fayetteville (apparently, they bought it a few years after you left), Madison is already standing outside with all of her things in suitcases around her. When you get out of the car, she drops the handle of one of the suitcases and barrels right for you. 

“Hi Auntie Cate!” she cries, burrowing into you. 

“Hey there!” you say. “Are you ready to go, kiddo?”

You can feel her nodding against your thigh. “Uh-huh!” Looking up, your parents are standing on the porch, regarding you with indistinguishable expressions. It kind of feels like you’re Hagrid, taking Harry Potter away from the Dursleys. 

“Let’s get your stuff, huh?” you say, patting her on the back. She jumps back from you and runs to grab a suitcase. You, meanwhile, walk up to the porch. 

“Not even going to say goodbye?” you ask. 

“We already said our goodbyes before you arrived,” your father says. 

You roll your eyes. “Okay, but can’t you just give her one last hug? I’m getting the car seat set up and her bags in the trunk, and then she’s out of your hair. So please, for me, just act like you’re sad to see her go?”

Turning on your heels, you walk over to the pile of suitcases and pluck out Madison’s car seat. Hopefully you can figure out how to get the seat in. 

After ten minutes spent frustratingly buckling in the car seat and shoving Madison’s suitcases in the trunk in a way that they’ll fit (how you’ll get your bags in too you have no idea), you and Madison say your last goodbyes to your parents. 

“I love you,” Madison says to them as she hugs them. You hug them too, if only to put a show on for her. Talking about why you can barely stand your parents, her grandparents, can wait until she’s a little bit older. 

“Are we going to your house?” she asks as you drive into town. 

You look into your rearview mirror and smile at her. “Not yet, sweetie. We’re staying at our hotel one more night, and then we have to drive all the way back home!”

Her eyes bug out. “Do you live really far away?”

You nod. “Kind of! We’ll have to drive for a few days. Is that okay?”

“I like driving. Daddy used to take me on picnics and we had to drive far.”

“Well that’s good, because guess how far away I live? A thousand miles!”

“ _ Wow!  _ No wonder you never visited!”

_ Yeah, that’s the reason _ , you think to yourself. You just smile back at her. If your parents didn't bring up the reason you weren't around, you’re not going to do it either. 

When you pull up to the hotel and the valet hurries out, you tell him just to take all of Madison’s bags upstairs. Then you take her into the elevator and ride it up. 

“Hey guys, I’m back with Madison,” you call out once you’ve pushed the suite door open. 

Ashley pokes her head out from the kitchen. “Hey Cate! Hi Madison! Sans and I are just making lunch.”

You take a sniff of the air. Ooh. That’s good. “What are you guys making?”

“quiche. it’s almost done.”

You scoot Madison inside and close the door. “Quiche, huh? Now I know Ashley’s not one to cook, so this was your idea, Sans?”

“yup. haven’t made a quiche in a while, so i decided to see if it was as  _ cheesy  _ as it used to be.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll throw the quiche out the window.”

Madison tugs at your shirt. “Don’t do that, Auntie Cate. I’m hungry.”

You burst out laughing. “I’m just kidding, sweetie. Sans was being silly so I was being silly too.”

She nods slowly. “Okay. Can I eat now?”

Sans brings a plate over and ruffles her hair. She giggles and ducks down. “here ya go, kiddo. made it special just for you.”

“What do you say, Madison?” you prod gently. 

She looks up at Sans. “Thank you!”

“no problem. enjoy.”

As you watch Sans interact with your niece, a comforting, warm feeling runs through your body. As she digs into the pastry and gives him a thumbs up and he responds with a wink, it clicks with you. 

It feels like you’re part of a family. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can just tell you all right now that I am *very* excited to write the next chapter.
> 
> See you next time!


	20. Sparks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This chapter would have been out way earlier but I could only use my computer for writing today :(
> 
> But oh well! Better late than never!

The next morning, everyone wakes up early to get a head start getting home.

Madison slept in your bed with you last night, and she managed to burrow up against you while you were asleep. It takes some trying, but you manage to wake her up. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” you say as she yawns. “Got a big day of driving ahead of us.”

“Can I sleep more?” she whines. “Please, Auntie Cate?”

Okay, her pleading voice is cute, but if you give into it now, you’ll never be able to overcome it. 

“You can sleep in the car, sweetie. Come on.”

She's not the only one grumpy about the early start. When the two of you head into the kitchen, suitcases packed, you see Ashley and Sans sitting at the kitchen bar, both drinking coffee. In all the months you’ve known Sans, you still haven’t figured out how he drinks liquids without them going right through him. Of course, you’ve never seen his torso, he could be completely solid under there. 

Oh god. That’s a weird image. Moving on. 

“Is that hot chocolate?” Madison asks, suddenly awake. “Can I have some?”

Ashley smiles at her. “No sweetie, it’s coffee. I don’t think you would like it very much.”

“Please?” Oh no. You can see it in Ashley’s eyes. She’s about to fall for it. 

_ Come on, Ashley. Stay strong, stay- _

“Cate, she can have just one sip, right?” 

_ Dammit.  _

You let out a sigh. “You can try it, Madison.”

She looks so, so happy that you said yes...until she takes a sip. 

“Bleh!” She spits it out, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. “Gross!”

You laugh, and pat her gently on the head. “We warned you. Coffee doesn’t taste very good, huh?”

She shakes her head vigorously. 

After that little incident, you all head out to the car with your bags. What follows becomes a game of Tetris between the luggage and the trunk of your car. You eventually give up and keep a few suitcases in the backseat. 

Madison gets into her car seat and you take the other side of the backseat. Ashley and Sans get in the front, Ashley driving, and then you’re off, on the way back home.

* * *

 

“Auntie Cate, what’s your favorite color?”

Madison has decided to start, well, grilling you, for lack of a better term. You’ve been outside the city for twenty minutes at this point, and she’s bored. 

“I like green,” you say. “What’s yours?”

“Blue!” she cries. “There’s blue over there,” she points to the sky, “blue over there,” she points at a road sign, “and blue right here!” She grabs onto Sans’ hoodie and starts giggling. 

“Yeah, that’s right!” you say. “Sans wore it just for you, didn't you Sans?”

He chuckles. “sure thing, kiddo.”

Madison’s face scrunches up. “It smells like ketchup. You should wash it.”

And so it continues. You try to make Madison as comfortable as possible on the way home, telling her all about Toby. She seems really excited to meet him; you can tell she’s a fan of animals. And when you tell her about Papyrus, you even tell her the story of how you met him. 

“So then I looked up, and Toby was chewing on Papyrus’ leg!”

Madison squeals in delight. “Was he mad?”

You shake your head. “Nope! I thought he would be, but he was totally cool with it! Of course, Papyrus is a pretty cool dude. You’ll see when you meet him.”

That night, you decide to splurge a little to get a decent-sized hotel room with two beds and a pull-out couch. Madison shares one of the beds with you, of course. And since Sans is driving tomorrow, he gets the bed. 

Sleep comes easy that night, and you wake up feeling refreshed. Although, that may have more to do with the fact that you’re going to be sleeping in your own bed tonight. And you’ll get to see Toby again. The thought of your stubby-legged, standoffish dog brings a smile to your face, and gives you the energy to get up and start getting ready for the day. 

The day’s drive consists mostly of more question games with Madison, and even a rousing game of I-Spy. 

“I spy with my little eye something...green!”

“Is it Ashley’s shirt?”

Madison shakes her head, smiling. 

“how about those trees?” Sans points out the windshield. 

Madison just giggles. “Uh-uh!”

“We give up!” Ashley cries. “What is it, kiddo?”

She lifts up her jacket, revealing a green shirt underneath. “My shirt!”

You let out a laugh. “Hey, that doesn’t count! We couldn’t see it!”

* * *

 

The car pulls into the apartment parking garage just after five. You made just about perfect time, you think to yourself. Ashley takes out her luggage and brings it to her car, parked just a few spaces away. Sans takes his out too, but he clearly wants to show off for Madison, using his magic to make the bag float a few feet above the ground. 

“ _ Wow!”  _ She’s completely transfixed. “How did you  _ do  _ that?”

“it’s magic, kid.  _ bone _ -afied magic.”

The scowls you send Sans’ way go right over Madison’s head, along with the joke. Oh, well. Four is a little too young to understand puns, anyway. Hopefully in a few years she’ll understand well enough to groan right along with you. But for now, she can remain in ignorant bliss. 

The three of you (and Ashley, once she stows her suitcase) head into the lobby, and you spot Dex working the front desk. 

“Cate!” he cries, actually coming around to give you a hug. “I’ve missed seeing you with Toby every day! Papyrus told me you were in Fayetteville, for your brother’s funeral. I’m so, so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” you say, more than touched by his show of affection. You pull away, and gesture to Madison. “Dex, this is my niece, Madison. She’s going to be living with me now.”

“I’m four!” she says. “But my birthday is July 15th so I’m almost five!”

Dex bends down to match her height. “That’s right! Well, it’s awesome to meet you, Madison. Welcome to the building!”

You all say goodbye to Dex and ride the elevator upstairs. You’re really glad that it doesn’t stop working from all of the suitcase weight. It stops on the third floor, and Sans gets out, his suitcase in tow. The rest of you, however, stay put. 

“Where did Sans go?” Madison asks, a look of clear concern on her face. 

“Sans lives on the third floor,” you explain. “He’s going to tell Papyrus that we’re back and then Papyrus will bring Toby upstairs to where we live!”

As the doors close, Madison’s eyebrows furrow. “But Sans is coming too, right? He’s gonna come upstairs, too?”

She looks almost on the verge of tears. Guess she got really attached to Sans.

“Of course he is, sweetie,” Ashley says to save the day. “Right, Cate?”

Both of them swivel their heads your way and you quickly nod. “Yes! Of course! In fact, I’ll invite them both to stay for dinner!”

As they watch, you pull out your phone and send a group text to both the brothers. 

**Hey guys, how do you feel about sticking around for dinner after bringing Toby up? I’ll cook :)**

The elevator dings for the fifth floor, and the three of you pile out. You lead the way down the hallway to your apartment, and lean up against the wall next to the door. 

“Papyrus has my keys,” you explain as you pull out your phone. Both Sans and Papyrus have responded to your message. 

**OF COURSE! I MUCH ENJOY YOUR COOKING CATE EVEN IF IT IS NOT AS GOOD AS MINE**

**sounds fun**

“They should be up any minute now!” you say. 

You don’t have to wait very long. The elevator doors open two minutes later, and when you hear the skittering of Toby’s paws on the ground, you break out into a huge grin. 

“Hey buddy!” you exclaim as he comes around the corner, practically dragging Papyrus. He tries to jump up on you and you don’t have the heart to scold him; he must be twice as excited as you are.

As you scratch him behind the ears, you look up and smile at Papyrus. “Thanks so much for taking care of him. You did a great job!”

Papyrus strikes a pose. “Never expect anything less from the Great Papyrus!”

Once Toby’s calmed down a little you stand back up, and gesture to Madison, who’s looking a little shy. “Papyrus, I’d like you to meet my niece, Madison.”

“Hello!” As you watch, Papyrus sweeps his hand around and down, ending in a sweeping bow. You hear Madison giggle. The sound warms your heart. “It is very nice to meet you, Madison! I am the Great Papyrus, and I hope that we will be great friends!”

He holds out an arm, which she shakes immediately. 

“Hey Papyrus, do you have my keys?” you ask. 

He reaches into a pocket you swear you’ve never seen before and pulls out the keyring. “Here you are! As you can see, I did not lose it.”

You take the keys from him and unlock your apartment, turning on the lights as you push open the door. 

“Home sweet home,” you say quietly, so only Madison can hear you. “It’s a little small, but I think the two of us can make it work.”

“I like it,” she says, looking around. “Do I get my own room?”

“Of course!” You take a couple of her suitcases and lead her over to the door across the hall from your bedroom door. “It still looks like a guest room, but we can spend the summer fixing it all up for you! How does that sound?”

She doesn’t respond. She’s too busy launching herself onto the mattress. “The bed is comfy!” she proclaims. “I like it.”

“Well, I’m glad!” you say. “Hey, do you want to see the rest of the place?”

* * *

 

The tour of your apartment doesn’t take very long; it’s really not that big. But Madison seems pleased with it, especially the balcony. 

“Can we see stars from here?” she asked when you took her out there. You still haven’t stopped smiling. 

After you finish the tour you start up on dinner. Which ends up being frozen pizza, because you haven’t been home to buy anything else. You would have preferred to make something fancier for Madison’s first night in the apartment but that’s what you’ll have to deal with. 

Besides, frozen pizza is good. 

You don’t have a table big enough to fit all five of you at once, so you all just eat on or around your couch. Toby tries to beg Madison for some of her food, but she’s a smart girl and doesn’t give him any. You can almost see the disappointment in his eyes. 

Once dinner is done, Ashley says goodbye and heads out, but not before giving Madison a big hug. 

“Tell your aunt to call me so we can hang out,” she says. 

Huh. Being called an “aunt” by someone other than Madison is just...weird. You never, not even a week ago, thought anyone would  _ ever  _ call you an aunt. But here you are, living with your niece who you’ve known for all of five days. It’s more than a little overwhelming. 

After Ashley leaves, everything starts to wind down. It’s getting close to eight, and Madison is starting to yawn. Sans and Papyrus leave too, and you watch with a fond face as Madison pulls Sans into, well, a  _ bone-crushing  _ hug. They leave, and then it’s just you and Madison and Toby.

“Let’s get you ready for bed, kiddo,” you say. “I have toothpaste you can borrow for tonight; you still have your toothbrush, right?”

She nods. “I have pajamas, too. They have stars on them!”

You dig through her suitcases to find her star-covered pajamas as she brushes her teeth, and present them to her after she comes out of the bathroom. When she changes, you turn to leave, but she stops you. 

“Can you tell me a bedtime story? Mommy and Daddy always told me a bedtime story when it was time for bed.”

Right. Of course. “Of course!” You take a seat on the edge of the bed. “What kind of story?” 

“Any kind! But it can’t be scary. It has to be a happy story.”

You think for a second. “Okay, I think I got one! Once upon a time, there was a little turtle, and he was trying to cross a busy road…”

After only a few minutes, she’s fast asleep. Smiling to yourself, you tiptoe out of the room, closing the door behind you. She knows where your bedroom is, she can come get you if she needs something, right? You let out a sigh. This certainly is a lot to deal with. 

You stretch out on the couch, and pet Toby as he comes up next to you. He jumps up onto your feet and burrows in as you start watching an episode of Mythbusters when there’s a soft knock at the door. 

Confused, you get up and look through the peephole. When you see who it is, you’re even more confused. 

“Sans, hey,” you say as you open the door. “What’s up? Did you forget something, or…?”

“nah. just wanted to see how you were holding up.”

You step aside and gesture for him to come inside. You take a seat on the couch and he follows your lead. 

“You didn’t have to do that,” you say. “I mean, it’s really nice of you, that you care so much. Madison really likes you, and I think you being around has really helped her adjust to all of these changes. But you don’t have to worry about me. I’m doing okay.”

He fixes you with a gentle gaze. “you’ve been through a lot these past few days. your brother died, you had to see your parents again, and a kid was basically dumped in your lap. i know what that’s like. that last part, anyway.”

Sans has never talked about he and Papyrus’ family before. “Sans, did you-”

He nods, realizing your question. “i raised paps pretty much by myself. our mom, she died real early on. i don’t even remember her. and my dad was around for a few years but one day, when paps was still a little babybones, he just disappeared.”

Instinctively, you move towards him, touching his arm in support. “I’m so sorry, Sans, I didn’t know.”

He waves you off. “‘s fine. happened a long time ago. point is, i know what it’s like to raise someone on my own. i did it, and paps turned out just fine, but that doesn’t meant it was easy. and if i can help it, you’re not gonna have to go through the same thing with madison. whatever you need, i’ll be there. you can count on that.”

There’s a tear poking out of your eye. “Sans, I don’t know what to say, that’s-”

“just promise me you’ll ask for help when you think you need it.”

You smile. “I promise.”

After that, the two of you fall silent, watching the commercials for the episode of Mythbusters you’d started. Neither one of you says anything for a full three minutes, until Sans speaks up again. 

“hey, uh, cate? can i try something?”

“Sure, as long as it doesn’t involve ketchup.”

You hear him let out a laugh, but it sounds a little strained. You turn to face him and—oh. He is  _ very  _ close to you right now. That sudden realization catapults your heart into overdrive and you find yourself searching his face for any sign of what’s about to happen. You can only sense the same hesitation and anticipation that you feel inside yourself. 

You’re about to say something but you’re suddenly interrupted by a pair of bony lips crashing into your own. 

  
  
  
  



	21. Genesis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love dropping bombs on you guys. 
> 
> (@NSA, i do not mean real bombs. i mean metaphorical plot bombs. i would never kill a person probably)

At first contact, everything slows down to a standstill. Physically, you’re aware of Sans’ presence in real time, but your mind is working a million miles a second, nerves firing from every corner of your brain, trying to make sense of what’s happening to you. 

For maybe half a second, you want to pull away. You think to yourself,  _ no, this cannot happen, I will  _ not  _ kiss Sans.  _ But once that doubt has passed, affirmations upon affirmations pile up in your mind. 

_ I like the way this feels- _

_ I didn’t know he felt this way- _

_ I  _ like  _ that he feels this way- _

_ What does that say about me? _

And then, like the Red Sea crashing back down on Pharaoh and his men, time starts up again in full force. The kiss ends, and Sans pulls away from you. The tension written on his face is practically palpable, it’s so visible. He looks horrified, terrified, and ecstatic, all at the same time. 

“cate, i-” he begins, before stopping and starting again. “i’m so, so sorry, i don’t know what-”

“Can you do that again?” you breathe out, interrupting him. You nearly cringe at how stupid you sound, but you push on anyway. “Because I really liked that and I want you to do it again.” 

You only have a brief glimpse of the potent relief that takes over his features before he’s kissing you again. Your mind a little more coherent this time, you press back, marvelling at the fact that bone could feel so soft.

All too quickly it’s over again, and the two of you pull apart. You’re breathing hard, and acutely aware of the pounding of your heart. Sans, meanwhile, looks like it’s his birthday and Christmas rolled into one. 

“Wow,” you say quietly. “I just...wow.”

“you’re telling me.”

You let out a nearly hysterical laugh. “Oh jeez, Ashley’s gonna be saying ‘I told you so’ for  _ days.” _

Sans looks just as happy. “not just her. paps, too. and undyne and alphys. heh, even madison thought i was your boyfriend.”

“Oh my god, the entire  _ Universe  _ got the picture before I did,” you say. “If I hadn’t been so  _ bleh  _ about the whole thing, we probably could have done that so much earlier. I feel like an idiot.”

He takes your hand, and the contact creates a pleasant shiver on your skin. Oh. You like that, too. “cate, you’re not an idiot. you’ve been through a bunch of crap lately and i probably shouldn’t have kissed you tonight but i did anyway.”

“You  _ did _ kiss me,” you say. Apparently, you feel the need to continue stating the obvious in order to make up for missing it lately. “And it felt really, really nice. Why it feels so nice, I don’t fully understand. But I really like it so, if you’re up to it, I wouldn’t mind doing it again?”

Sans chuckles, and you really like the way that sounds. “i’m up for just about anything.”

That’s all you need to hear before you’re going in again, submerging yourself in this newfound... _ thing  _ you have with Sans. This kiss is slower than the others, calmer, and you close your eyes as you move your hands to give yourself a better base. Your legs move underneath you and propel you closer to him, so much so that he’s pressing back against the arm of the couch. 

When you break apart, you stay close to him, your forehead pressed against his. It’s cool, and it feels nice against your skin. 

“This doesn’t even feel real,” you say, unable to keep the silly grin off your face. “I have a niece who is asleep not fifty feet from us, and here I am, kissing your stupid face.”

“i take offense to that. my face is not stupid.” But he’s smiling. 

You let out a slow breath and back up a little bit, sitting back on your legs. He sits up a little in return, and you’d like to think that it’s because he’s trying to get closer to you. “So, uh, what happens now?”

“i’m cool with kissing you again.”

You try to hold back a laugh, but a little escapes. “I meant more than five minutes from now, you doofus.”

“what do you want to happen?”

That’s a very good question. You haven't been in a serious relationship since college, and ever since then it’s just been a one-off fling every once in a while. For years, there’s never been anything like what you think you could have with Sans. You’re not really sure how to proceed. 

You must have been silent for a while, because Sans speaks up again. “look cate, this doesn’t have to be anything.” His words say one thing, but his expression and the tone of his voice say the exact opposite. You can see it in his face. He’s hoping. “we can just leave it here if that’s what you want, pretend that it never-”

“No,” you interrupt, a little louder than you meant to.  _ Please don’t let that wake up Madison _ . “No, that’s not what I want,” you say, quieter this time. “I, uh, I don’t really know  _ what  _ I want, but I don’t want to leave it here.”

“then don’t.” Sans looks more alert, more focused than you’ve really seen him before. “we can go as slow as you want, your call. i don’t want to mess this up, because i really care about you, cate. and i want you—no—you  _ deserve  _ to be happy. after everything you’ve been through the universe can give you that much.”

You shoot one more glance toward Madison’s closed door. “Don’t I know it.” Biting your lip, you look back at Sans, your mind made up. “You’re right. I deserve to be happy. And it would make me  _ very  _ happy to give this a chance. So in answer to your earlier question, I want to kiss you one more time tonight, and then some more every day after that. What do you think?”

It’s probably just a trick of the light, but you swear you see stars in his eyes. 

“well i think i’m just gonna sit here and let you kiss me.”

“You’re so lazy,” you tease as you lean forward and kiss him again. It lasts only a few seconds, and then you pull back, smiling in spite of yourself. 

“Alright, that was your one kiss,” you say. “Now get out of here. I don’t know when four-year-olds wake up in the morning, and I want to make sure I get plenty of rest.”

“okay.”

“Sans, you’re not moving. Go home and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“okay.”

You’re getting impatient. “If you don’t leave right now you don’t get any kisses tomorrow!”

He winks at you and before you can react, he’s gone. 

Once you realize what just happened, you lie down on the couch and stare at the ceiling. 

_ I did it. I kissed Sans. Several times, in fact. And the world did not end.  _

_ Not even close.  _

* * *

 

Sans lands in his room directly onto his bed, in the same position he was in while on your couch. 

Well. That went much better than he expected. It was stupid of him to kiss you, and the fact that you reacted the way you did was beyond lucky. He’s still feeling a little high off those kisses. 

He’s just so, so relieved that you didn’t throw him out, or punch him, or do something else that would have crushed his soul entirely. And it would have been crushed if you had. He knows this for certain. 

Sans has been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days. Ever since you heard the news about Colton and told him about your family, he’s been surreptitiously checking up on your soul. 

Even all the way back on that night in March, he knew your soul was something precious. All souls are, technically. Every soul is unique, and Sans can read their identifiers like a book. 

Your soul, like the soul of any adult human, is full of swirling colors. It’s only children who have one solid color. He can tell, from his repeated scrutiny of your soul, that it was green when you were a kid. Kindness. It suits you, he thinks. It really does. You’ve always been kind, to Papyrus, to him, to Madison. You even treat your father with the respect he doesn’t deserve. You have a mix of all the other colors in there too, but the other that stands out is yellow, the color signifying justice. It’s extremely well-developed, and from what he knows of you, that makes a lot of sense. A woman who takes on her father’s company at the expense of her own livelihood must have a strong sense of justice. 

It’s very selfish, what he’s been doing. As far as he knows, he’s the sole monster with the ability to read so much into souls. Pun intended. He really should be using his talents for the good of society. But here he is, creeping on the girl he’s got a crush on. Or, well,  _ had.  _ It’s not a crush if it’s mutual, right?

He doesn't know how to do this relationship thing, so you taken the lead is absolutely fine by him. He knows quite a bit about human relationships, including the fact that they don’t move forward nearly as fast as monster relationships. It probably has to do with the fact that humans can’t sense souls. For monsters, that’s an almost perfect indication of whether a relationship will work long-term. Humans will go through a multitude of partners before they settle down or get married, and those relationships don’t always last. Monsters usually have one partner, and that’s for life. 

He doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, or put you in any kind of compromising position, but with all the chances he’s gotten to check out your soul, he doesn’t think he’d ever find anyone more suited for his.

That thought both terrifies and excites him. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Souls are confusing.


	22. Next to Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This (late, sorry about that) chapter is brought to you by the TV show Bones and the soundtrack of the musical Hamilton. Without those two things as my background noise, I don't know how long this chapter would have taken.

You haven’t gotten nearly enough sleep when a bright-eyed and perky four-year-old jumps on your bed. More accurately, she launches herself from across the room. 

“Oof!” you shout as she lands right on your chest. You sit straight up, and all the sudden motion cause Toby to leap off the bed and retreat out of the room. “Hey, kiddo, uh, maybe tomorrow you could just wake me up with a tap on the shoulder or something?”

“Sorry,” Madison says, looking crestfallen. You immediately feel like a terrible person. “I used to wake up Mommy and Daddy like that so I was gonna do the same thing to you.”

Yep. You’re the actual worst.

Trying to make amends, you pull her into a hug. “It’s okay, sweetie,” you say. “You can wake me up like that if you want to, just be more careful next time. Got it?”

She pulls back and smiles up at you. “Got it.”

“Good.” You motion for her to move and then get out of bed, stretching your arms toward the ceiling. “How about we get some breakfast and then take Toby for a walk? Sound good?”

“Uh-huh!” She dashes into the kitchen, you following close behind. 

“Now, all I have for breakfast food is cereal,” you say, opening the pantry. “But we can go to the store later to get pancake mix for tomorrow. Do you like pancakes?”

She nods vigorously from the table. “I love them!”

Her enthusiasm makes you smile. “Awesome! I love them, too.  _ And  _ I’m really good at making them.”

You pour her a bowl of Rice Krispies and throw in just a little sugar on top. As you expected, she loves it. When you and Colton were younger, you both would sneak a spoonful or two of sugar onto your cereal and stir it in before your parents noticed. You never once got caught, and you really enjoyed the taste. With a start, you realize that in the past week, you’ve thought more about your brother and your childhood than the past year, at least. At least most of what you’re remembering is silly things, like the cereal, or the family photographs. Those are memories you don't mind reliving. 

When the two of you are done, you get Toby ready for his walk and head to the elevator. 

“Remember Papyrus, the nice, tall skeleton?” She nods. “Well, he usually comes on walks with me in the morning. Is it okay if he comes with us today?”

“Can Sans come too?”

Your mind drifts back to last night and you fight the blush that tries to take over your face. “Y-yeah, of course! Let’s ask him, okay?”

“Why are you blushing?” Madison asks when the elevator doors open to the third floor. Then she gasps, as though she’s realized something. “Do you  _ like  _ Sans? Is that why you’re blushing?”

You take a breath, and think very carefully about what to say next. You’re not a hundred percent sure what the relationship between you and Sans is shaping up to be, or if it even can be called a relationship at all. 

_ But you’d like it to be.  _

On the other hand, you don't want to keep Madison in the dark about anything, unless you think knowing will hurt her. And if Sans is going to become a bigger part of your life, then Madison deserves to know why. 

“I have something to tell you, sweetie,” you say as you walk down the hall. Madison follows you, hanging on to your every word. “Last night, after you went to bed, Sans came over, and we talked for a little while.”

“Did you kiss?” she interrupts. Her eyes are wide and they only grow wider when you nod. “Wow!  So he  _ is  _ your boyfriend! Are you guys in love? Are you gonna get married? Am I going to have a cousin?”

“Madison, slow down!” you say, laughing. You knock on the door, hoping Papyrus is awake. It's a little earlier than usual. “We just kissed, that’s all!”

“But Sans is your boyfriend, right?”

You miss the times where you thought the world was as simple as Madison believes it to be. “I don’t know, sweetie. We didn’t really talk about it.”

“But you kissed!”

“WHAT? Who did you kiss, Cate?”

And, of course, Papyrus opens the door at the perfect time. You’re about to turn to him and explain (sure sounds like Sans didn’t) when Madison beats you to it. 

“She kissed Sans!”

You have never seen Papyrus look so delighted, and he’s a happy skeleton by normal standards. Now he looks like Christmas has come six months early. 

“SANS!” he cries, running back into the apartment. You, Madison, and Toby follow him in. “Sans, wake up!” He practically throws open the door to Sans’ bedroom and marches inside, purpose dripping from every step. “Why didn’t you tell me you and Cate are dating?”

You hear a low grumble and hushed words that you know come from Sans, and a smile comes unbidden to your face. What is it about him that's turning you into a giddy mess?

A few seconds later, Papyrus comes out of Sans’ room, his older brother following close behind. When his gaze meets yours, the lights in his eyes brighten just slightly and there’s a blue flush on his cheekbones. You love being the one making  _ him  _ blush for a change. 

“hey,” he says. “morning.”

“Morning,” you respond, practically grinning. “How’d you sleep?”

“perfectly.”

Remembering the nightmare he had, back in that motel, you know what he said has a particularly special meaning. You’re more than a little hopeful that his nightmare-less sleep had at least a little to do with you.

“Come walk Toby with us!” Madison exclaims, running up to Sans and latching onto his leg. It’s...pretty cute, actually. “Auntie Cate said Papyrus comes but you should too!” She turns back to you and flashes a dazzling smile.

Covering your mouth to hide your smile, you try to fix her with a stern gaze. “What do we say, Madison?”

She looks back at Sans, but even from here you can feel the pull of the puppy dog eyes. “Please?”

“sure, kiddo. just for you.”

“Well, of COURSE Sans will be accompanying us!” Papyrus looks personally offended at the thought of anyone assuming otherwise. “Now that the two of you are dating, it only makes sense!”

As quick as a wink, you flick your eyes towards Sans, who’s looking at you too. Last night, you never actually decided whether you were dating or not. As far as you can remember, you only promised to kiss him a lot. Everything seems to be moving a little faster than you originally intended. But as you think about it, you really,  _ really  _ like the idea of calling Sans your boyfriend. 

Toby tugs at the leash, reminding you that he is a dog with urinary needs. When you fail to react for a few seconds, Papyrus takes the leash from you and heads out to the elevator, Madison following dutifully behind. “Don’t canoodle for  _ too  _ long!” he calls over his shoulder.

“What’s a canoodle?” you hear Madison ask before their voices fade away. 

Once the two of you are alone, Sans starts talking immediately. “hey, i can tell pap that we’re not, uh, officially dating if that’s what you want, he just kinda assumed-”

“Do you want to be my boyfriend, Sans?” 

He stops short, looking at you with a mixture of emotions you can’t quite place. “i—what—you’re sure?”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “I have absolutely no qualms about kissing your stupid face and you don’t think I want to be your girlfriend?”

“no, i just—yes. i would absolutely love to be your boyfriend. heh, or your  _ bone _ friend.”

You try to glare at him through your smile. “Offer rescinded.”

He gasps in mock-shock. “oh no! whatever can i do to regain your favor? i will present you with gifts of ketchup every morning and serenade you with my best non-pun jokes! i’ll pay off my tab at grillby’s!”

You shake your head. “Just kiss me you dork.” 

He takes the few steps needed to cross the room and pulls you into a soft kiss, a gentle kiss that leaves you wanting more when he pulls away. 

“There’s one more thing I need to ask you before we go join the others,” you say.

“yeah?”

“How the fuck do you have lips when you’re a skeleton?”

He’s smiling at you mysteriously. He’s not going to say what you think he is, is he?

“magic.”

_ Goddammit. _

* * *

 

As she’s only four, Madison has trouble walking as far as you usually do with Toby. After a couple blocks she’s looking a little droopy, so you kneel down and let her sit on your shoulders. She’s tiny, you’ll be fine. Plus she’s taller than Papyrus now, technically. She loves it. 

You must look an odd group, two humans, two skeletons, and a dog. But you like it. It feels almost...right, in a way. 

As you both hear and feel Madison laughing at Papyrus trying to communicate with Toby, locking eyes with your new boyfriend, the feeling is set in stone. 

This is  _ definitely  _ right. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unrelated: I have been playing an awful lot of Dragon Age: Inquisition lately. If any of y'all have played it, I'd love to know if you decided to romance anybody, and if so, who you romanced/who was your favorite. 
> 
> Bull's mine.


	23. Fume and Fortune

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...hey
> 
> sorry for the long absence w/ no news. I refuse to post chapters that are just author notes so I'm gonna *try* to explain my absence now.
> 
> A lot of things have happened over the last month. Here is a nowhere-near-complete list of them.
> 
> 1\. I got sucked into reading a lot of Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfiction and for some reason that destroyed my ability to write my own fic  
> 2\. I went to a twenty one pilots concert. For those of you who've read my other Undertale fics, you probably know how big of a deal that is to me.  
> 3\. I turned 18! I am now old, officially. Also I can take aspirin and drive more than three people at once. And vote!  
> 4\. I actually hung out with my friends instead of being a recluse. It was an interesting change.  
> 5\. I went to a Piano Guys concert which was super chill and really fun.  
> 6\. I was a camp counselor at a Girl Scout camp for a week, where I watched over 14 eleven-year-olds.  
> 7\. This week I am babysitting three kids, Aaron, Ryan, and Madison (hah!) from 7 AM to 5 PM while their mom is at work and their dad is at marching band camp. I'm getting like 100 bucks a day though, so it's worth it. 
> 
> There's more beyond that, but honestly, it shouldn't have taken me this long to update. I'm really, really sorry, you guys. Hopefully now that I've finished a chapter again, I can get back on track before college starts. I'm determined to finish this, no matter how long it takes. I owe that much to you guys, and to Cate.

“Okay, Madison. Which colors do you like?”

After your walk earlier this morning, you brought Madison over to the local paint store. While beige was a great color for a spare bedroom, you don’t think it’s appropriate for a four-year-old girl. So you’re letting her choose a color. Within reason, of course. 

“I like this one!” She plucks a light blue swatch out of the display and hands it to you. “It looks like the sky!”

“Yeah, it does!” you agree. “So do you think we should get this one?”

She nods, her eyes going wide. “Yeah!”

You buy two cans of paint, and then the two of you leave the store, driving over to the local Target to find some cheerful bedding. You wander around the store, pushing Madison around in the cart, until you’ve found what you need, plus a little extra. Hey, it’s not your fault that Target carries just about everything!

Goal for the day complete, you head back to the apartment and bring everything upstairs. 

“Are we gonna paint my room  _ today, _ Auntie Cate?” Madison asks. 

“Mm, I don’t think so,” you say. “I’m pretty tired from shopping, and it’s probably gonna take a few days to get it set up and painted. We have to move all the furniture out, you know. And tape off the door and stuff like that. Maybe we can start tomorrow?”

She’s going to hold you to that. You can already tell. 

In fact, when the next day rolls around, she wakes you up nice and early, with a smile on her face and anticipation clear in her eyes. There's a moment where you regret telling her you could start painting today, but her excitement is just too precious to ignore. 

It bleeds over into your morning walk, and Madison spends the entire time telling Papyrus all about how you’re going to paint her room. 

“It sounds like a truly noble endeavor!” Papyrus exclaims in a way that makes Madison giggle. “In fact, I would like to assist you!”

“Um, okay,” you say, turning to Sans to see if he’ll offer the same. 

“i’ll come too. i’ll supervise.”

“Sans, ‘supervise’ is your code for ‘sit around like a lazybones and do nothing’!”

“you got me, bro.”

Papyrus eventually convinces Sans to “help with one wall, at LEAST”, and when the walk is finished, you all head upstairs to begin your daunting task. 

It starts with googling a few different methods in how to paint walls. You haven’t painted your apartment in five years, and you don't want to risk messing it up. Not for Madison. But eventually, you remember what you need to do and start taping up the door and windows. Papyrus has to help with that; you’re way too short to reach the tops. 

Then you enlist both the brothers’ help in moving all the furniture out of the room. It takes a while, and you have to suppress more than a few choice words when your end of the dresser gets to be too much for you. Or, well, you  _ try  _ to suppress them. 

“What does ‘shit’ mean?”

You turn toward Madison with a panicked look on your face. “Oh! That’s a bad word, honey, you shouldn't say that!” Out of the corner of your eye, you see Sans trying not to laugh. You hate him. 

“But you said it! Does that make you bad?”

When that’s done, you crack open a can of paint and pull out the tray and rollers you got from the store. You pour it out, and hand out rollers to both Sans and Papyrus. 

“Auntie Cate, can I help?” Madison asks. You look down at her; she’s looking at the roller in Papyrus’ hand with an expression of envy. 

You look at one of the walls, and then to a paintbrush lying on the ground, and then back at Madison. An idea forms in your mind. 

“Hey, you know what? While we’re working on these walls over here,” you gesture to the wall Papyrus is currently painting and the one next to it, “you can paint pictures on the other walls! They’ll look super cool and we can take pictures of them before we paint over them!”

“Oh! Okay!” And with that, she picks up the brush on the ground, dips it in the paint, and runs over to the wall. You don’t stop to see what she’s painting before you pick up another roller and start working.

* * *

 

With one wall finished, you turn around to check on Madison. She's having a great time painting the wall, and as you look closer, is that...you? It’s hard to tell because the hair’s a little too long and everything is blue, but you think it might be. She moves over a little to work on something else and you see a little blob at the drawing’s feet that must be Toby. Yep. Definitely you. 

She moves over a little more, and you can see a much shorter figure with long hair that must be Madison. She turns around, sees you looking at her, and beams. 

“Look! I drew us!” She beckons you over, and you oblige her. “That’s you, and that’s me, and that’s Toby!”

Your expression mirrors the big smiles of the people in the drawing. “That looks so good, sweetie! You’re a really great artist!”

You don’t notice that Papyrus has joined you until he speaks up. “Ah, yes! It is nearly perfect! However! Any painting can be greatly improved by the addition of spaghetti!” He gestures to the brush in Madison’s hand. “May I?”

She acquiesces, and you step back to let the Great Papyrus create his masterpiece. Feeling a presence at your side, you turn to see Sans. He’s watching the display with a fond look on his face. 

“Papyrus is so good with her,” you say, quietly so as not to disturb the artists at work. “Look at them. You can tell that he just...gets her. I wish I could connect with people like that.”

“hey, you’re doing a great job with madison,” Sans says. You feel the back of his bony hand brush yours, and you take the initiative, grasping it tightly. “i mean, look at her. she looks happy. that’s not from papyrus, that’s from you. you’re the reason she wants to paint pictures on the walls. she feels safe with you, and that’s a really great thing. don’t underestimate yourself, cate. you do more for her—for a lot of people—than you give yourself credit for.”

“Sometimes I feel like you’re saying things like that just to sweet-talk me,” you tease, trying to ignore the tears pricking at the corner of your eyes. Sans’ words are doing a lot to make you feel better. You’ve been trying so hard to make this transition easy for Madison, and you’ve been especially worried that you haven’t been doing enough. While you know there’s still a long way to go for both of you, you’re finally allowing yourself to see how far you’ve come. 

“Sans! Cate! Come look at my masterpiece!” Papyrus’ voice breaks you out of your thoughts, and you focus on the picture in front of you.

If you’re being honest, it looks like a bunch of scribbles. But there’s no way in hell you’d ever say that to Papyrus.

“That looks really good!” you say. “Heck, it looks almost good enough to eat!”

Madison suddenly looks very concerned. “Don’t eat it! It’s not real!”

You just laugh and walk over to ruffle her hair. “Oh, I know. I was just kidding about the eating part.”

“Phew!”

* * *

 

Several exhausting hours later, there’s a couple coats of paint on the walls and the windows and door are opened. Even though the paint fumes are swirling around the entire apartment, you’re happy with the day’s work. Which is why you ask Sans and Papyrus to stay for dinner and for a movie, with all four of you squeezing together on the couch. It works out; Madison is partially on your lap, and you’re partially on Sans’ lap. Papyrus, meanwhile, is leaning up against the arm of the couch. You’re immensely grateful that he’s so skinny. 

You let Madison pick the movie, and she chooses Tangled. As it plays, you find yourself leaning further and further into Sans, until your head is resting on his shoulder. You’re glad for his sweatshirt; you imagine you wouldn’t be very comfortable without it. 

At the end of the movie, after Rapunzel’s hair is cut off and she’s reunited with her parents, Madison gasps out loud like she’s made a fascinating discovery. 

“Auntie Cate! Rapunzel’s hair looks just like yours now!”

As you think about it, you realize that she’s not wrong. Your hair’s just a shade darker and a little shorter than Rapunzel’s, but the style’s pretty much the same. 

“I think yours is prettier, though,” Madison adds as an addendum. 

“agreed.” Sans and Madison reach across your chest for a high-five as you feel yourself blushing from the compliment.  

Once the movie is over, Madison starts acting especially sluggish and you declare that it’s time for bed. You have her say her goodbyes to the brothers and send her into the bathroom to get ready for bed. While she’s in there, you say goodbye as well. 

Papyrus scoops you up into a hug you weren’t ready for, but it only lasts few seconds before he sets you down very gently. He then steps over the threshold of the apartment, telling Sans not to “take  _ too  _ long”. Sans simply chuckles and pulls you in for a quick kiss before following his brother. 

“‘night.”

“Goodnight,” you say. “Coming on the walk tomorrow morning?”

“oh, i dunno,” he says, a teasing lilt in his voice. “might be  _ bone  _ tired.”

You bite your lip to stop your laughter. “Get out of here, Sans.”

“as you wish.” As you watch, he disappears from view. Damn teleportation. 

After a minute you run through your nightly routine and join Madison in your bed; she’ll be sleeping there the next few nights while her bedroom airs out and you move the furniture back in.

She’s already snoring softly, and you have to be careful not to wake her. The other night, she came into your room crying after an awful nightmare. She never fully explained it—she was sobbing too hard for you to make out the words—but you have a strong feeling that it was about Colton and Amelia. That night, you just let her cry until she fell asleep again, safe in your arms. 

Looking down at her, you’re happy to see her face still peaceful. You wish you could just keep her safe and protect her from all of the bad things in the world. 

Well, at the very least, you can try.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I threw in a little bit of Cate's appearance at the end there. She's got pretty dang short hair that's a reddish-brown color. Maybe if I get around to it I'll post a link to the sim I made for her in Sims4, so you guys can see what I'm thinking of.
> 
> See you guys again soon!


	24. Everything is Awesome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I wrote most of the chapter in one sitting :)
> 
> So I had my birthday party yesterday, and one of my friends made me a charm bracelet. The charms, of course, are all bones. And she mixed in some little aquamarine rhinestones, too. I love it.

A few weeks later your new routine is pretty much settled. With Madison in your care and Sans as your boyfriend, things have gotten a lot more interesting. Your quiet time to yourself, for instance, has dwindled down pretty much to zero. If it’s not Madison asking you to play with her or do something fun with her (not that you’d ever tell her no), then it’s Sans, popping in during lunch or after Madison goes to bed. Not that you mind either of these changes. Playing with Madison has been keeping you occupied, since you don’t work in the summer. And when Sans comes over? Well, honestly, the two of you mostly hang out and watch movies. When you found out he hadn’t seen Jurassic Park yet, you forced him into your couch and wouldn’t let him leave until you had watched it. Honestly, it’s a lot like having a best friend. A best friend that you kiss and cuddle with, but still. 

It’s on a warm Sunday afternoon when you, Madison, Sans, Papyrus, and Toby are all heading to a park that’s fifteen minutes away by car. A few days after you got back from the funeral, you received several frantic text messages from Alphys. Which reminded you that, other than Papyrus, Sans, and Ashley, none of your friends knew what had happened. 

Whoops. 

Okay, well, in your defense, you were a little preoccupied. Alphys would just have to forgive you for neglecting to mention all the recent changes in your life. And she did. She was forgiving almost to a fault. Except, of course, for one thing. 

“You and Sans are t-together now?!” she had screamed into the phone when you told her. “And you didn’t tell me?”

Needless to say, that was a long phone conversation. By the end of it, you had promised to meet her and Undyne at a park so you could all catch up. Which brings you to right now. 

“Are your friends nice?” Madison asks, as you’re walking away from the car, hand-in-hand. She’s swinging her arm, so you let yours hang loose so it swings too. 

“They are the best friends a skeleton could ask for!” Papyrus, walking a few paces in front of you, chimes in before you can answer. “Uh, well, you two are quite good friends as well. But! Alphys and Undyne are very old friends of mine. You are sure to like them very much!”

A few minutes of walking pass before you see two very familiar monsters over by a playground shaped like a pirate ship. Papyrus calls to them and Undyne dashes over to meet you halfway, Alphys following a little slower. 

“OH MY GOD! I haven't seen you guys in FOREVER!” she yells, scooping up first Papyrus, then Sans, and then you in a big group hug. “I missed you guys so much!” She lets go and looks at you with searching eyes, hands coming up to rest on your shoulders. “Cate. Are you okay? Alphys told me what happened.”

You nod. “Yeah. It was...bad, at first. But I’m doing a lot better now.” You reach down and lightly pat Madison on the shoulder; she stepped back when Undyne pulled you into the hug. “Undyne, I’d like you to meet my niece Madison. Madison, this is my friend Undyne.”

Undyne pulls back from you and meets gazes with Madison. 

“You’re blue,” Madison says bluntly. “I like blue. Do you want to be my friend?”

Undyne’s face lights up like it’s Christmas morning. “Um, YES! Of COURSE I want to be your friend! Heck, we can even be besties!”

Madison’s eyes go wide. “Besties?”

The two of them start talking to each other, and you turn to Alphys, who hasn’t said anything to you yet. 

“I’m g-glad you’re feeling better,” she says, looking like she wants to hug you but isn’t sure if she should. So you make the first move instead, quickly pulling her into a bear hug that you hope rivals Undyne’s. 

“Thank you.” You put as much fortitude behind these words as you can. “It was unreal at first, but everyone helped me process it. Sans especially. He was there when I found out.”

Alphys pulls back. “Is that when you two...you know?”

You smile and shake your head. “No, not then. It was the day after we went to Grillby’s, you know? I was pretty hungover and Papyrus forced me to rest while he took Toby on a walk and fed him and stuff. The cr—it came on the news, and Sans pretty much gave me a shoulder to cry on.”

“I’m so sorry,” she says, looking like she’s about to burst into tears on your behalf. “T-that is just so awful! Especially that you had to find out that way.”

You nod. “My dad’s a dick. But Sans and Ashley were there, which made it a lot better.”

At the mention of Sans, she perks up. “Um, if it isn’t too much of a bother, could you, uh, tell me how your guys ended up together? You didn’t go into that much detail on the phone…”

“Of course!” You’re more than happy to change topics, especially when the new topic is you and Sans. “The night we moved Madison into my apartment, I invited him and Papyrus over for dinner. After they left, I put Madison to bed, and when I left her room Sans was sitting on the couch.”

Alphys is staring at you with rapt attention. “What happened next?”

“He said some really sweet things about me and Madison, and then he kissed me.” You’re not sure how much Alphys knows about Sans and Papyrus’ lack of parents, so you decide not to say anything, just in case. 

“OH COME ON!” Alphys shouts, the loudest you’ve heard her. She suddenly looks around sheepishly and, seeing that no one’s staring at the two of you, continues. “That’s not all, right? How did he do it? Did he declare his love for you? Sweep you off your feet and into his arms? I need to know!”

You bite back a laugh. “He said something like ‘hey, can i try something’ and I said sure, so then he kissed me. I was surprised, but it wasn't a sweeping romantic gesture. Sorry to burst your bubble.”

Alphys’ bubble, however, looks anything but burst. “That’s so CUTE! Oh my gosh, I ship you two so hard!”

“What’s this about shipping?” Undyne walks up to the two of you, holding Madison’s hand. Your niece is looking up at her with big, adoring eyes. It’s really cute. “If we’re shipping something, I need to know what it is.”

“Sans and Cate!” Alphys cries. “They’re so cute together!”

Undyne goes deathly still, and as you watch, her face erupts in a huge grin. 

“Hold up,” she says, looking from you to Alphys to Sans, who’s standing about ten feet away, watching Papyrus play with Toby. “Are you two  _ together? _ ”

When you nod, she lets out a shriek of either joy or anger. It’s hard to tell. 

“Why didn't you TELL me?!” she yells. 

“I told Alphys!” you say, holding up your hands in a gesture of surrender. “Sorry, I thought she would have told you!”

“I’m sorry, I meant to tell you!” Alphys cries. “But I got really busy with the soul study program that I forgot!”

“Oh! How’s that going?” you ask. 

Alphys can barely contain her excitement. “It got approved!”

“Wow! That’s so great!” you say. “Is it going to be ready for the fall?”

“Heh, no,” she says, a little sheepishly. “I need to do a LOT more work before that can happen. But! I’ve been putting together a really basic class to get people introduced to the subject, and I think I could have it ready for the fall!”

“That’s really cool, Alphys!” you say. “Would you teach it?”

She squints a little bit. “I mean, I could. But, uh, I think Sans would be a better teacher. He knows a whole bunch about souls. More than anyone.”

You nod. That makes sense, from what Sans has said to you over the past few months. 

Alphys talks to you a little while longer, until you feel a tugging at your shirt. You look down and see Madison looking up at you. 

“What's up, kiddo?”

“Undyne said that she teaches swimming at the why-em-see-a!”

You try not to laugh. “Don’t you mean the YMCA?”

“Yeah! That one! And she said that I could take lessons from her! She thinks I can be a really good swimmer! So can I? Please?”

You look over at Undyne, who appears to be interrogating Sans about your relationship, judging by the way they both keep looking over towards you. “Um, yeah, okay,” you say, looking back towards Madison. “That sounds really cool!”

“Thank you!” She wraps her arms around your thighs (as far up as she can reach) and squeezes tightly. “I love you, Auntie Cate.”

You pull her closer. “I love you too, sweetie.”

* * *

 

“hey.” Sans is walking next to you, on the way back to the car. 

“Hey,” you respond. Ever the conversationalists, you two. 

“so i was thinking. maybe tomorrow, you and i could do something, just the two of us. papyrus can watch madison for ya.”

He's being adorably awkward. 

“Why Sans, are you asking me on a date?” you ask, putting on the most ridiculous Southern Belle accent you can muster. “Because if you are, then I accept.”

“great! that’s great!” he says. “how does lunch sound?”

“Lunch sounds great,” you say, speaking normally again. For good measure, you intertwine your fingers with his, feeling the cool, smooth bone on your skin. 

“great.”

Awesome. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a little short, sorry about that :/
> 
> I'll see you guys soon!


	25. Not Everyone Agrees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, sorry for the delay with this one! I've had a busy few weeks. 
> 
> For one thing, I'm currently in the process of moving! Next Tuesday is my first day of college, so my family and I are in Minnesota right now getting ready for me to move into my dorm that day. 
> 
> Also, this chapter would have been out last night, but the most recent update of Chill or Be Chilled kinda wrecked me. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

There’s a knock on your apartment door just as your watch shows 12:01 PM. One minute late, just like he promised. Motioning for Madison to be quiet, you stride across the room, pausing outside the door.

“Who’s there?” you call.

“lettuce.”

You roll your eyes. Predictable. “Lettuce who?”

“lettuce in.”

You turn the knob and pull the door open to reveal Sans and Papyrus. 

“You know, I should really make you stand outside for that terrible joke,” you say. “But I’m not that kind of person. Come in, you guys.”

“your fault for setting me up,” Sans replies as he walks past you. You flick him on the arm. 

“Hi Sans! Hi Papyrus!” Madison calls from her perch on the couch. “I’m watching Doc McStuffins, wanna come see?”

Papyrus perks up. “Do I ever!” He scrambles over to the couch and takes a seat next to Toby, who cuddles up next to him. 

“You two are going to be okay while Sans and I are gone, right?” you say, half in a teasing manner. 

“Uh-huh!”

“For sure!”

Neither of them even look up from the TV. 

“they’ll be fine,” Sans says as he takes your hand. “c’mon.”

“Have fun!” you shout to them as the door closes behind you. Clenching and unclenching your first, you turn to Sans. “They’re going to be okay, right?”

In response, he gives you a gentle kiss. “yes. you worry too much, cate.”

“And you don’t worry enough.” He fixes you with a  _ look _ , and you let out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll try to relax. Where are we going?”

“you’ll see.” He starts walking towards the elevator and you follow, a little confused. 

“We’re not...teleporting?” you ask. The two of you step inside and Sans presses the button for the garage. 

He shakes his head. “nah. too much work. besides, the ride’s more fun when you can get fresh air.”

“But wouldn't the car windows just keep the air out anyway?”

The elevator doors open and Sans steps out, motioning for you to follow. “you’ll see.”

After only a few steps of walking, you see what he means. 

“Oh my god. Sans. I have known you for  _ months,  _ and you never told me you had a  _ motorcycle?” _

He looks up at you from his position inspecting the wheels, grinning. “never came up.”

You’re still a little dumbstruck. “I never pegged you as a motorcycle guy.”

“paps got his vehicle after we left the underground, and i got mine.” He hands you a helmet. “besides, chicks dig motorcycles.”

You hold the helmet in your hands, eyeing it warily. “And you’re sure you know how to drive this thing?” You look back at him, noticing that he’s missing something very important. “And where’s your helmet? Sans, you need one. What if you crash and you crack your skull or something because you weren’t wearing your helmet?”

“not gonna crash,” he reassures you. “cate, if we’re about to crash, i can open up a shortcut to a nice meadow or something. it’ll be okay. i mean, if you’re too uncomfortable with it, we can just take the shortcut. i just thought it would be cool to-”

“No, I get it,” you interrupt. “As long as you promise to drive carefully, we can take the motorcycle.”

With that, the two of you get on the bike and Sans speeds off. You have to admit, the wind blowing past your face is pretty nice. Bracing, but nice.%

When you see your destination, you can’t help but be excited.

“The aquarium?!” you exclaim, hardly able to contain yourself. 

“yeah,” Sans says. “thought it’d be a cool place to go. is this okay?”

You nod vigorously. “Of  _ course  _ it is. I love aquariums, and I haven’t been to this one in forever!” Taking off your helmet, you take a step towards him and kiss him on the cheek. “This is the best.”

His cheeks are dusted with blue. “heh. yeah.” 

The two of you make your way out of the parking lot and to the ticket counter, where Sans insists on paying for both of you. 

“I can pay for myself.”

“nah, i wanna pay. my treat.”

“Okay fine, but I’m paying for the food.”

“deal.”

As he pays, you see a couple staring at you from the next line over.Their faces are clouded in judgement as they pull their children away from you. Away from Sans. 

You knew this would happen. Yours and Sans’ is not the first interspecies relationship, not by a long shot. But it’s still rare, and bigoted people will condemn anything they perceive as wrong. It makes you furious. But instead of saying something to them, with their children right there, you decide to take a different, just as direct approach. 

Making sure to stare both of them down, you step closer to Sans, wrapping your arms around his waist and tucking your chin over his shoulder. Since you’re a few inches taller than him, you have to stoop down a little. But it’s fine. Comfortable, even. You feel him stiffen underneath your touch, but you’re too busy watching the couple’s reaction. 

You’re not disappointed. The man narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. The woman bites her lip so hard you think it might bleed, and you can see her knuckles whiten as she clutches onto her daughter’s shoulder. 

“Mom,  _ ow!”  _ she yells, pulling away and rubbing her shoulder. You look away then, and give Sans another kiss on the cheek before pulling away. He turns around, confusion splayed on his face, and you motion that you’ll tell him in a minute. He hands you your ticket and you go through the entrance, leaving the judgemental parents in the dust. 

Once you’re both through, you lead Sans over to a more secluded area. 

“Sorry about that back there,” you say quickly, suddenly feeling ashamed of your behavior. Sure, it felt nice to hold Sans like that, but you didn’t ask first. Even if the two of you are dating now, you know you still need to respect his personal space. 

Sans just looks at you. “that actually felt, uh, really nice. just caught me off guard, is all.”

You breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. I’m really sorry I just did that, but there was this couple in the line next to us that was kind of glaring at us, because we’re, you know…”

“not from the same species?” When you nod, he slumps back against the wall. “figures. monsters have been on the surface for more than three years now, but some people still can’t stand the idea of a monster and a human in a relationship.” He looks back up at you, concern in his eyes. “they didn't try anything, right?”

“No, nothing,” you say. “They had their kids with them. But I thought I might as well make it worse for them, you know? Basically say ‘fuck you’ without their kids hearing that? So that’s why I did that.”

“and i thought it was my magnetizing charms.”

You smile in spite of yourself. “Okay, sure. But yeah. I might do that to you a little more from now on.”

His grin is as wide as ever. “fine by me.”

You grab him by the hand and pull him inside the aquarium, ready to leave the negativity of the last few minutes behind you. 

Your first stop is the marine mammals section of the aquarium. Reading off a plaque by the edge of the dolphin enclosure, you learn that the place used to have the dolphins do shows, jumping through hoops and swimming around in circles. Apparently, the aquarium employees found that the dolphins were suffering from high levels of anxiety. 

“I know how that feels,” you say to Sans. “That was my senior year of college in a nutshell.”

The two of you lean against the glass railing and watch the dolphins interacting with each other, playing and squeaking. 

“Apparently, dolphins are crazy-smart,” you say. “Like, people-smart. And they travel in family groups all the time. I think that's really cool.”

“yeah, it totally is,” Sans says. “how do you know all this?”

You smile and look down at your feet. “Well, when I was little, I was kind of a nerd.”

“what? no.”

You shoot him a glare. “Shush. But seriously. I read all kinds of books about stuff like that. Man, I shoulda been a biology major or something. That would have been super cool.”

“hey, chemistry is awesome. tell people you work in that and you’re sure to get a  _ reaction.” _

“I will push you into this pool and leave you to the mercy of the dolphins.”

And with that, Sans is hugging you from the side, wrapping his arms around your waist like you did to him earlier. “aw, come on cate. you know you love my puns. just admit it.”

You won’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him. “Over my dead body.”

“ _ cate. _ ” He drags your name out, voice hovering on the ‘a’ sound. “cate. babe. come on. you love my puns.”

Blinking a few times, you look down at him. “Did-did you just call me ‘babe’?”

“is that not-can i?”

“Uh, yeah,” you say, still a little caught off-guard. “Yeah, that’s, uh, that’s fine! I just didn’t expect a pet name, I guess.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “are you sure? i don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“Sans, it’s cool! I actually like it!” You do. It’s a different level of intimacy, you think. Not physical intimacy, but emotional intimacy. Sans calling you ‘babe’ means a lot to you. It shows you that he’s feeling more and more comfortable with you, and with your relationship. A warm feeling you’re starting to associate solely with the way Sans makes you feel bubbles up inside you. “I guess I’ll have to come up with a name for you, now.”

“you betcha.” 

Before he can pull away, you seal your promise with a kiss.

* * *

 

Sans loves watching the animals at the aquarium, but he loves watching you more. Your enthusiasm is enthralling, and he finds himself losing track of what you’re saying to him as he watches your hands gesturing, your lips moving, your eyes sparkling as you explain something else to him. It’s beautiful.  _ You’re  _ beautiful. 

And he’d be able to marvel in that fact for longer if his phone didn’t ring.

Maybe he can ignore it. He checks the caller ID.

**_Alphys_ **

Shit. He can’t ignore this. He looks at you apologetically, but you wave him off and tell him to answer the call. So he does. 

“hey alph. what’s up?”

“SANS! Hi! I have some g-great news?”

“yeah?”

He can feel her excitement through the phone. “My soul study program got approved!”

“oh! that’s great!”

“And I’m putting together a curriculum for an introductory class that I think you would be the perfect teacher for!”

“...oh.” Shit. “are-are you sure? c’mon alph, i’m sure you don’t want some lazybones like me teachin’ your class.”

He hears an intake of breath on the other line. “Sans, you w-would be the best one for the job! You could teach the students  _ so much _ ! You’re the only one who knows so much about souls!”

He glances over to you, looking at him with a raised eyebrow and head cocked to the side in confusion. “maybe it should stay that way.”

“B-but, Sans, I k-know that you can—I just—will you promise to think about it?”

Now he feels bad for making Alphys feel bad. “sure. i’ll think about it. talk to ya later, alph.”

“Bye.”

Once they hang up, you metaphorically pounce on him. “Was that about the class on souls?”

He nods. “alphys told you about it, huh?”

“Yeah, she’s really excited about it. She said she would ask you to teach it. You don’t want to?”

Sans shakes his head. “nah.”

You take a step back from the anemone tank and closer to him. “Why not? You know so much about souls, and now you have a chance to share that knowledge with people.”

With the way you’re looking at him, he wishes he had the guts (heh) to tell you everything. How the reason he knows so much about souls is because he is the Judge, the one who can look into a person’s soul and immediately know what type of person they are. He knows so much about souls because he’s watched those of children emerge from their lifeless bodies, seen them poked, prodded, experimented on. Hell, he’s even helped with that. 

And then, of course, there’s the Anomaly. Frisk. He’s crushed their soul full of Determination more times than he can count. His knowledge of red souls is more intimate, more nuanced than even his knowledge of his own self.   

He wants nothing more than to say those things to you, but he knows he can’t. If you knew, he knows you would leave him. Kick him out of your life. But he knows he has to tell you someday. Just not yet.

“i-well-i have a reason for it, but i don’t-i can’t-”

Your hand finds his and squeezes it in comfort. “You don’t want to tell me what it is? That’s fine, Sans, you don’t have to tell me. Just...know that I’m here, if you want to talk about it. Okay?”

“okay.”

You smile at him, and his world lights up. “Okay. Now come on, you can stick your hand in the tank. The anemones won’t hurt you, and when you touch them, they feel all slimy. Did you know that anemones actually…”

Your voice fades into the background and Sans is only half listening as he vision slides to watch the gentle pulsing of your soul, the most beautiful one he’s ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when I'll be able to update again; everything's kinda hectic around here. Hopefully once school starts I'll have my schedule figured out and I'll be able to write more. But for now, I just don't know. 
> 
> I'll see you guys next time!


	26. Un, Deux, Trois, Quatre, Cinq!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> k I'm posting this chapter on the road from Duluth to Rochester so if there are any formatting issues that's why
> 
> and for those of you who read tonight I'll need you to stay (my first long Undertale fic) you'll be interested to know that I just spent a few days in the house I based Sans and Papyrus' house in that fic on! It was a good time.

You set an alarm for 6 AM the morning of July 15th. It’s the earliest you’ve gotten up all summer, but you have a very good reason for it.  
  
After all, today is Madison’s fifth birthday.

You’ve spent the last few days getting everything ready for her special day. You’ve bought a few presents (that stipend you get from her trust is really helpful), decorations, and you even went to a bakery down the street to get a specially-designed cake. You are 100% prepared to make today the best you possibly can.

The fact that it’s her first birthday without her parents weighs heavily on your mind as you rush around the apartment trying to hang up decorations. You and Madison both need this day to go off without a hitch.

Which is why, when you realize that you absolutely cannot hang this decorations by yourself, you call in the emergency backup.

Papyrus, of course, is very happy to lend both his help and his height to your quest. With him there, it only takes you a few minutes to hang up the remaining decorations.

“Thank you so much,” you say quietly, once you’re finished. “I couldn't have done it without you.”

“The Great Papyrus is always happy to help!” he replies. “Sans and I will return for the party at…?”

“One,” you supply. “I’m making lunch and then we can have cake! Now get out of here. I gotta make Madison a special breakfast. See you later!”

“Goodbye!” Papyrus leaves then, and you get started with Phase One of Madison’s birthday: the perfect breakfast.

Pulling pancake mix out of the fridge, you whisk it together with milk and eggs. Then, when you pour it on the pan, you use a spatula to shape it into a heart.

As you continue making more pancakes, you hear a door creak open behind you. Turning around, you see Madison in her pajamas, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Happy birthday, sweetie,” you say, waving to her. “Come sit down, I made you some pancakes.”

Your niece moves sleepily toward the table, and you watch her hand brush the string of one of the many balloons you bought from the grocery store last night.

Her eyes light up as she looks up and sees the extent of the decorations littering the apartment. There are blue and purple streamers crisscrossing the entire ceiling and balloons everywhere. You’re especially proud of the balloons; they’re blue and pink and proclaim the fact that Madison is five to everyone who looks at them.

“I did a good job, didn't I?” you ask, nudging her playfully in the shoulder. Madison can only nod in response, a blissful smile overtaking her features.

While she’s preoccupied, you plop the heart-shaped pancake plus a few circular ones onto a plate and drench them in syrup. Then, for a special birthday-only touch, you put a dollop of whip cream on the top and cover it in rainbow sprinkles. You place the plate at Madison’s part of the table, and tap her on the shoulder so she knows it’s there.

“Thank you so much!” she cries, capturing you in a hug before you can react. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

“Well it’s your birthday,” you say, ruffling the top of her head. “I want to make it as special as possible.”

She pulls away from you then and dives into her pancakes, leaving you to grab yourself a few pancakes for yourself and join her at the table.

“How is it?”

“Good!” she answers, her words muffled by her food. “Thank you!”

That’s the last you two talk for a while, the sounds of chewing and swallowing replacing the din of conversation.

“Can Sans and Papyrus come over?” is the first thing she asks once she’s eaten a fair amount.

“Of course they can!” you say. “In fact, I invited them and Alphys and Undyne to come over at one for lunch and cake and presents!”

You wish you could take a picture of the look on Madison’s face.

“Cake?! What kind? Is it chocolate? Can I see it?”

You smile and shake your head. “You can see it after everyone else gets here. Now, let’s see. What do you want to wear for your big day?”

* * *

 

You end up letting Madison open one of her gifts right after breakfast. That is, of course, because it’s a light blue princess dress and you were thinking she’d want to wear it today. She does, of course. So you help her get into it and then spend the better part of two hours fixing up her hair into a fancy braid.

“I don’t get to do a lot of things with my hair because it’s so short,” you say as you watch her check hers in the mirror. “But back when i was your age, I had long hair.”

“Why did you cut it?”

You run a hand through it and feel the ends slip through your fingers. “For a lot of reasons. Mostly, I just didn’t want to worry about it anymore. When it was long, I would have to brush it a lot to get it to stay smooth.”

Madison turns around and faces you, squinting a little. “I think you look good with short hair.”

“Me too.”

As Madison dances around the apartment in her fancy dress and hair, you get started on lunch. You’re making a tuna salad, so you have to boil the noodles, chop up the tuna and vegetables, and mix everything together so it can chill in the fridge before everyone shows up. You also take out the cake (still in its box so Madison can’t see) and set it out on the counter so it can thaw.

“I wanna see it! I wanna see it!” She jumps up and down behind you as you set it down on the counter.

“You can see it when everyone else does, sweetie.”

This, of course, makes her even more excited for the others to arrive.

At one o’clock exactly, Madison pulls up a chair to the door and stands on it so she can see through the peephole. You watch her nervously from the kitchen, hoping that she doesn’t fall.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait too long before she turns to you, shouting, “Sans and Pap are here! They’re here!” She slides down off the chair and helps you push it away from the door as the bell rings. You unlatch it and Madison pulls it open, practically bouncing from excitement.

“Happy birthday, Madison!” Papyrus exclaims.

“how old are ya now, kid?” Sans asks.

“Five!” she cries. “Look at my princess dress!” She twirls around to show off and Sans and Papyrus ooh and ahh at all the right times.

“It certainly is a very pretty dress!”

“Thanks! Auntie Cate got it for me!”

“didja tell her thanks, bud?”

Madison looks at Sans like she's offended. “Yes! I said it a million times.”

“oh yeah? you counted?”

“Sans, come on,” you say, lightly hitting your boyfriend in the arm. “It’s her birthday, give her a break.”

“Yeah, Sans! Gimme a break!”

Eventually, you manage to get everyone to come inside. Papyrus tells Madison about how he helped put up the decorations and she gives him a hug.

“how come i don’t get a hug?”

Without hesitating, Madison says, “Get a hug from Auntie Cate. She's your girlfriend.”

“alright, i will.” As you try to stifle your laughter, Sans’ arms sneak around you from where you’re sitting at the kitchen table. This is awful news, because you let out a small giggle at the touch. Sans pulls back a little in surprise. “cate. are you ticklish.”

“N-no!” you cry, trying to push his arms away.

“oh, you totally are. this is hilarious.” And with that, the barrage begins. His fingers find your sides, and you squeal as he tickles you.

“S-sans, stop it!” you cry, turning towards him. His expression is gleeful as he continues to tickle you, and you realize with a start that the placement of his hands feels strangely familiar…

Oh no. The dream. That stupid dream you had about him that you tried so, so hard to forget about. And you had, too. Until now. Now, you can’t stop the images from flooding your brain and sending shockwaves right down to your core.

Your face red and thoughts swimming both from laughing and arousal, it takes you a second to realize that Sans is practically straddling you. That, and Papyrus and Madison are watching your torment. That realization snaps you right out of your confusion.

“Sans, stop,” you say quietly. Your facial expression must be something to see, because he backs off immediately.

“shi-shoot cate, i’m sorry,” he responds, even quieter.

“It’s fine,” you say, trying to diffuse the situation. “Just don’t like being tickled.”

“Me neither,” Madison says. “Daddy used to tickle me but then Mommy would yell at him.”

You’re about to say something when the doorbell rings. You speed towards the door and open it to reveal Undyne and Alphys.

“Hey there!” Undyne says to Madison, who’s skipping up to the door. “Happy birthday, nerd!”

“Happy birthday!” Alphys echoes. You invite them in and the atmosphere relaxes. Madison shows them her princess dress and everyone is excited and happy for her.

“cate, can i talk to ya for a sec?” Sans asks quietly, while everyone else is preoccupied. You nod. “are you okay? earlier, you-”

“I’m okay,” you say. “I just don’t really like being tickled, you know? You didn’t know, it’s fine.”

“are you sure?”

To prove that you are, you kiss him on his left cheekbone. “Positive.”

He seems to buy it, and you’re glad. You never told him about that dream you had, and you never want to. You don’t even know if he can...well, it's just better if he doesn't know. That’s a conversation you really don’t want to have.

Soon after that you pull out the tuna salad. Papyrus is amazed that pasta can be served cold, and demands a copy of your recipe so he can try it sometime.

When everyone is finished with lunch, you ask Madison if she'd rather have cake or open presents first. It takes her a little while to decide, but she finally settles on presents. So you bring them all over to the kitchen table and set them in front of her, telling her to open them in whichever order she wants.

She opens her present from Undyne and Alphys first.

“Auntie Cate! Look! Goggles for me for the pool! And, um…”

“Moon sand!” Alphys supplies. “It sticks together and you can s-shape it like play dough!”

“Oh!” Madison understands. “Thank you!”

Papyrus and Sans’ present comes next.

“This is a copy of Fluffy Bunny Goes to the Zoo!” Papyrus exclaims once Madison unearths the book from the excessive amount of wrapping paper. “When I was a babybones, it was my favorite book! Sans used to read it to me. Maybe Cate can read it to you!”

“Please, Auntie Cate? Please?!”

You smile. “Of course! We can read it before bed tonight.”

Finally, she has another few presents to open from you. You got her another set of clothing, and a brown teddy bear with soft fur. She loves it.

“I’m gonna name him Bear!”

Well. You can’t say too much to a five-year-old’s creativity.

Once the debris from the presents is all cleared away, you bring out the cake. You’re really happy with how it turned out; the frosting is white with lilac butterflies perching on green leaves. The cake reads “Happy Birthday, Madison” in cursive, light blue writing.

You also pull out a box of candles and stick five on the cake, only using half the box. Then you light them all, making sure not to light yourself or anyone else on fire.

“Everybody ready?” you ask before launching into the iconic birthday anthem. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Madison, happy birthday to you!”

Toby starts barking halfway through, but otherwise it goes pretty well.

“Make a wish, sweetie!” you say. Madison blows out the candles, extinguishing all five in one breath.

“What did you wish for? Papyrus asks. Madison fixes him with a withering stare.

“I can’t tell you my wish. Then it won’t come true.”

Papyrus gasps. “We can’t have that! You must keep your wish a closely guarded secret, then!”

After that, you bring out a knife to cut the cake with and start cutting everyone a piece. It’s chocolate, just like you know Madison likes.

Everyone thanks you for their pieces, and then you dive into your own. It tastes great, which is good, because you paid a lot of money for it.

All of you are eating cake and laughing when Undyne says, “Hey Cate, you got a little something by your mouth, there.”

“Oh,” you say, reaching for a napkin. “Lemme-”

“nah, i got it,” Sans interrupts. As you turn to face him, you see a blue sheen coming from behind his teeth. Before you can say anything, a blue tongue appears as he leans in toward you. You’re frozen from shock as he licks the frosting from the corner of your mouth, and you’re still frozen after he backs up and winks at you. The blue tongue disappears and you feel like you can breathe again.

If he can conjure a tongue from his magic like that, then what else can he…

Yeah, you’re not going down this train of thought right now.

Luckily, Madison declares that everyone needs to watch a movie, so you’re able to distract yourself as you all migrate to the couch. Madison picks out The Little Mermaid, and everyone settles in to watch it.

Surrounded by your new friends and family, you feel an overwhelming sense of contentment. That this is where you truly belong. Here, sandwiched between a five-year-old and a skeleton who happens to be your boyfriend. When you were younger, growing up with Colton and your parents, you never thought your life would turn out this way.

You’re glad it did.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Se you guys when I manage to update again! College move-in day is Tuesday so it will probably be after then.


	27. Housekeeping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, college is so much fun you guys. I love literally everything about it. 
> 
> Like my PE class this term is called Social Dance, and yesterday we started learning how to waltz! I really love it. 
> 
> This chapter's a little short, so sorry about that. I'm trying to outline the rest of the story out, and there are gonna be quite a few chapters like this that are just kinda filler chapters. But I hope you still like them!

It isn’t until the day after Madison’s party that you allow yourself to fixate on the fact that Sans can conjure up body parts at will. Well, you suppose he could before, since when you kiss him, there’s something there that is  _ definitely  _ not teeth. But whatever’s there doesn’t glow bright blue. 

Your mind continues to wonder all throughout the morning walk with Toby and the others. You don’t talk too much, but you’re pretty sure neither Madison nor Papyrus notice. They’re too busy talking to each other. You’re glad that Madison has found such a good friend in him. 

That reminds you—you need to get her registered for kindergarten. You make a mental note to look into that later. 

When you all get back to the apartment complex, the elevator stops at Sans’ and Papyrus’ floor first. Papyrus invites Madison over to “engage in important discussions through a fluffy medium”, which you know means playing with stuffed animals. You say that you’ll be right upstairs if anything happens, and the two of them leave. Sans, however, stays on. 

“hey cate, you’ve been pretty quiet this morning. cat got your  _ tongue _ ?”

You choke on air as the elevator doors open on your floor, and Sans immediately looks concerned. “cate, hey, you okay?”

Nodding, you walk out of the elevator. Sans follows. 

“Y-yeah,” you say, your coughing fit subsiding. “I just, uh. Wasn’t expecting that. The, uh, the tongue thing yesterday, or what you just said.”

“hehe. sorry ‘bout that.” Sans stands there rubbing where his neck would be as you open the door to your apartment. He follows you inside, and you shut the door behind you. You unclip Toby from his leash, and he runs off, presumably to your bedroom. Which leaves you and Sans alone.

“So,” you start, drawing out the ‘o’ sound. “You have a tongue.”

“yep.”

Wow. What a slew of information! “And I just found out about this now because…?”

“well i never knew i could do it until recently. didn’t have a reason to, you know?” He’s looking directly into your eyes. 

You blink twice. “And you do now?”

He takes a step closer to you, a look on his face that you can’t quite place, but that excites you nonetheless. “well you see, that depends.”

You’re hesitant in responding. “On what?”

“on how you feel about french kissing.”

Oh. Okay. Well. You have to admit that your mind  _ did  _ go there, when Sans licked the frosting off yesterday. And you  _ also  _ have to admit that you don’t have an unfavorable opinion towards doing that. Quite the opposite, in fact.  

“Well,” you say, starting off slowly. “I...wouldn’t be opposed.”

“babe, is that a yes or no?” He’s very close to you now; you can feel the inexplicable heat emanating from him. “if you don’t want to, i’ll stop. we don’t have to.”

“No!” you say, quite a bit louder than you intended. “I mean, I’d like that. Yeah.”

Sans seems to relax and comes closer, effectively backing you up against the wall. “yeah?”

“Yeah.” You’re breathing hard, and your gaze keeps flicking down to Sans’ mouth, where you’re waiting for his tongue to appear again.

You see the blue light appear again, and before you lose your nerve, you pull him into a kiss. 

Sans presses into you, and you fold yourself closer to the wall...into a light switch. 

“Ow!” you cry, pulling away from him. He stops immediately, and takes a step back.

“you okay?”

You nod. “Yeah, just, uh, could we move this to the couch or something? Walls are full of pointy objects.”

As if to make your point that you still want to do this, you pull him over towards the couch and take a seat. 

“I’m sorry, this is so awkward,” you say, laughing nervously. You look away from him and towards the ground, running your hand through your hair. 

“hey, it’s okay.” You feel Sans’ fingers underneath your chin and let them guide your head so that you’re looking at him again. “just follow my lead.”

He leans in, and now you’re kissing again, slowly and softly. You let him pull you closer as your eyes flutter shut, and when you feel his tongue lightly touch your lips, you open them to let him in. 

You haven’t done this in a long time. Years. It’s been years since you let someone get so close to you like this. And as you kiss, as he cups your cheek in his hand, the worries that constantly float around your brain, telling you that this will never work out, that it will end and leave you worse off than before, they all go quiet. Instead, feelings of affection and desire take their place.

You start to run out of air, so you pull away, breathing heavily and blushing bright red. Sans is blushing too, his ethereal tongue nowhere to be seen. 

“heh. uh. that was. wow.”

“That was wow,” you repeat, still a little breathless. “I-um, could we do that again?”

“oh, absolutely.”

* * *

 

A few days later, you go about the task of registering Madison for kindergarten. You have no idea what you’re doing, but Google is a very helpful tool. So you figure out what school district you live in, and call them to see what elementary school Madison will be going to. The lady on the phone directs you to the right school, and tells you a list of all the documentation and forms you’ll need to submit before she can start school. 

Good thing Colton and Amelia kept very meticulous records. 

You’re shuffling through a file of vaccination forms at the dining room table when Madison comes up to you.

“What are you doing?”

You don’t look up at her, and keep shuffling through the paper. “I’m looking for stuff.”

She slides into the seat next to you. “What  _ kind  _ of stuff?”

You shoot her a glance out of the corner of your eye. “Stuff about  _ you.”  _

“Is it presents?”

Smiling, you set down the pile of papers. “No, sweetie. It’s about your shots. You know, when you go to the doctor and the nurse gives you a little shot and then a bandaid?”

She scrunches her face up, as if she’s remembering the feeling of getting a shot. “Why are looking for  _ that?”  _

Taking a deep breath, you lean back in your chair. “Well, it’s almost August, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“After August comes September, and that’s when school starts up. For both you and me.”

She furrows her brows. “Is it every day?”

You nod. “Every day except Saturday and Sunday.”

“Do I  _ have  _ to go?”

“Yes.”

“But  _ why?”  _

Your hand comes up to rub at your neck. “Because the government says you have to. It’s the law.”

Madison looks a little distressed, and you feel really bad. But you knew you had to tell her about it eventually. 

“What if I get lonely?” she says. “What if I miss you?”

You scoot over on your chair and hold out an arm. She moves next to you and you pull her into a hug. “Oh, honey. It’s okay if you miss me. But I promise that when you get to school, you’ll make a bunch of friends and then you’ll forget all about me!”

She gasps. “I’ll  _ never  _ forget you, Auntie Cate! You’re the bestest aunt I ever had!”

“And you’re the best niece. I’ll have to be away from you too, you know. I might just die of loneliness!”

“No you won’t!” she counters. “Because you have Sans! You can kiss him when you miss me!”

You laugh. “Okay, fine. I will.”

The two of you hug it out for a few more minutes until Madison gets bored and asks you to watch a movie with her. You make some popcorn, and the two of you sit back and relax for the evening. 

Even when she’s at school and you go back to work, you’ll still have the evenings together to look forward to. That’s something that can never be taken away.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> You guys should totally come over to my tumblr and ask me about college because I love talking about it. Or, you know, this fic. I also love talking about that. 
> 
> See you guys next time! Now, I gotta go to dinner!


	28. In Other News, Water is Wet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all this chapter was so much fun to write. I loved it. 
> 
> But yeah. First week of college went great! I love my Geology professor, he rocks (heh). I also joined the Archery club, and the handbell choir! Both those things are super fun, and they make me look forward to the weekend even more than I already do!
> 
> Enough about me. Here's the chapter!

“Auntie Cate! I think I see it!” Looking in the rearview mirror, you see your niece shifting as close to the window as her car seat will allow, staring wide-eyed at the tall slides in the distance. 

The past few days have been unbearably hot, and you figured that the best way to beat the heat was a waterpark day. Naturally, Madison was very excited. On the next morning’s walk, she invited Sans and Papyrus to come too, so now all of you are piled in your car, headed to the biggest waterpark around. Conveniently, it just happened to be located right outside of the city.

“Here we are!” you announce triumphantly, pulling off the freeway and into the parking lot. You hand the parking attendant a five dollar bill (why you have to pay for parking when you’re already going to be spending an exorbitant amount of money to get in the park is beyond you), and you pull into a spot close to the entrance gate. 

“Does everyone have what they need?” you ask once you put the car in park. “Madison, I have sunscreen for us to put on. Sans, Papyrus?”

“I, too, have my sun protection!” Papyrus cries, producing a container of—wow. That is 100 SPF sunblock. You think to your can of 30 SPF sunscreen, and wonder if you’re not prepared enough. 

“i’m ready to go,” Sans says. “i bet today’ll go  _ swimmingly. _ ”

“That’s it. We’re leaving.”

* * *

 

Of course, you don’t actually leave. You get out of the car and spray both you and Madison down with your subpar sunscreen and stick it in your bag to reapply after you and Madison change into your swimsuits. Then the four of you make your way to the gate, Madison skipping far ahead of the rest of you. 

“Hi!” you say to the ticket seller, a cat monster who looks bored out of his mind. “Three adults and one kid, please.”

“Yeah, sure, hold on,” he replies. He types something in the machine in front of him, and then looks up at you. He focuses on you for a second but then his eyes flick back to focus behind you. “...Sans? What are you doing here?”

“oh hey, bp.” You turn around to see Sans give the monster (BP?) a lazy wave before putting his hand back in his pocket. “this is my girlfriend cate, and her niece madison.”

“Huh.” The cat monster extends a paw towards you. “Well, nice to meet you then. Name’s Felix, but everyone calls me Burgerpants.”

You shake his paw. “Why do they call you Burgerpants?”

He laughs nervously and scratches behind his ear with the paw he was just shaking your hand with. “That’s, uh, that’s a long story, buddy. Maybe I’ll tell you another time?”

You smile gently. “Sure.”

The tickets come out of the machine and he hands them to you. “That’ll be seventy-five dollars and fifty-two cents.”

You nod and reach into your bag, digging around for your wallet. Sans steps forward, and you know what he’s going to say a second before he says it. “Come on Sans, lemme get this one. You paid for the aquarium, I’ll pay for this. My treat.”

“okay. but i’m payin’ for the food.”

Remembering how you offered the same at the aquarium, you smile. “Deal.”

With that, the four of you walk into the waterpark. You give the tickets to the gate keeper, and she waves you inside. 

“I wanna go on the waterslides!” Madison cries, pointing at one with inner tubes that looks like it’s for two people. If you rode with her, you think that would be okay.

“Let’s change first, sweetie,” you say. “Then we can get in the line.”

You rent a family-size locker for all your stuff and take Madison and your suits into the changing room. There’s a bathroom inside, so you tell her to use it before she changes. She does, and then you help her get into her suit. It’s a one-piece with a ballerina-like skirt. It looks super adorable. Then it’s your turn to change. 

Your swimsuit is a black bikini with a lace drapy part that hangs off the top and covers your stomach. You’ve never worn it out in public before and you feel more than a little exposed. And nervous. But you also can’t help but wonder how Sans will react. Not that you’re expecting him to do anything, especially in public. But, as you look over your shoulder at your exposed back in the mirror, you’re secretly hoping that seeing you in something barely more than underwear will make him have  _ some  _ sort of reaction.

Once both of you are ready, you step back outside and finish applying sunscreen to the parts of you and Madison that are now exposed. 

“We’ll have to wait a few minutes before we can go in the water,” you say. “Otherwise all the sunscreen will wash off and then we’ll get burned!”

Instead, the two of you return to Sans and Papyrus, who’re facing away from you, talking about something. You smile to yourself and clear your throat. They both turn around and you look Sans right in the eyes as his gaze sweeps up and down your body. The flush on his cheekbones clears away any and all worries you had about this swimsuit. 

“WOW!” Papyrus cries, voice slicing through the moment. “Cate! You look so different! You are wearing much fewer clothes than before!”

Coming from anyone but Papyrus, that would have sounded more than a little creepy. But you take it in stride. “Yeah, this is my swimming suit! I was worried it wouldn’t look good, but,” here you look directly at Sans, “I think I look just fine.”

Your boyfriend slowly nods. “uh-huh. yeah. you look great.” 

You smile in spite of yourself. “Are you guys gonna change, or are you going in the water like that?”

Papyrus straightens up as if affronted. “I must change into the proper attire! Come, Sans! To the changing rooms!” He grabs Sans’ hand and pulls him toward the changing rooms, and you take no small pleasure in seeing how Sans’ gaze won’t leave you until the last possible moment. 

“Why are you smiling like that?” Madison asks. You look down at her and see the look of confusion on her face.

“Oh, nothing,” you say. “Just mushy grownup stuff.”

“Gross.” She wrinkles her nose. “Are you guys gonna kiss later?”

“Probably.”

“Bleh.”

You look at her in confusion. “I thought you wanted me to kiss Sans when I miss you while you’re at school?”

“Well,  _ yeah.  _ But that’s when I’m not  _ there. _ ”

When they come back, you see that Sans has stripped down to a pair of swimming trunks. Papyrus, meanwhile, is also wearing swimming trunks. His, however, are about a foot shorter than Sans’, and bright orange. And he’s also wearing water wings, those little inflatable bracelet-like things that go on people’s arms. Much like the rest of Papyrus’ wardrobe, it’s very...him. 

“Alright, now that we’re all ready to go, let’s go on some rides!” you say, much to Madison’s delight. She leads all of you over to the slide she pointed out to you earlier. 

Once you’re all standing in line, you feel Sans lean in close. “you look really nice today. and i know i already said that but i’m gonna say it again because well. you do.”

Now it’s your turn to blush. You turn to face him and try to deflect from that by saying, “Sure, and that’s not because I’m wearing practically nothing, right?”

God, you love making him blush like that. “i-uh. well i-uh. shit.”

Smiling, you decide to take pity on him. Or maybe not. “Oh, it’s okay. Apparently seeing a woman’s bare skin is  _ very  _ distracting.” You think back to your high school days, where the girls were dresscoded if even as much as a shoulder was showing.

“that’s not-i wasn’t-you’re not being very fair.”

“I know.” You kiss him on the cheek. “I just like teasing you.”

“You guys are gross,” Madison says.

“We know.”

When the four of you finally get all the way through the line, you get in a tube with Madison and Sans gets in a tube with Papyrus. Madison’s really lucky; she’s 42 inches tall and the height requirement for the ride was 40 inches. She would’ve been crushed if she couldn’t go down the slide. 

The ride attendant makes sure the two of you are properly situated, and then he pushes you forward down the slide. 

It’s exhilarating, even as an adult who’s been to her fair share of waterparks. But you think that part of this excitement has something to do with Madison, who’s shrieking with joy at every turn and every splash. It reminds you of when you were her age, when everything was exciting. 

Of course, as it typical of rides like this, it has to end eventually. Your tube leaves the darkness of the slide and emerges into the light, and you feel the tube slowing down as you approach the end of the ride. You and Madison get out, and she turns to you, beaming. 

“Let’s do it again!”

After several (and you do mean  _ several _ ) rides on several different rides, the four of you come to the universal consensus that you’re all starving. So you take a break from the water and head to the food shack, where Sans buys everyone a hot dog, and a bunch of fries to share. 

“Today is a good day,” Madison declares as she drowns a fry in ketchup. You glance toward Sans and see that he’s looking at you, too.

“It sure is,” you say, smiling. Neither of you break eye contact.

* * *

 

He’s in too deep. And he doesn’t mean the water, although this part of the wave pool is definitely over his head. No, he means you. 

At this point, when he’s fallen so far, he can’t even figure out when he first tripped. Was it when he watched you fall apart and come back together before his eyes, when your brother died? Was it when you were so understanding, so protective of him after the incident where he almost dunked on an entire small town diner? Or was it before any of that, when you were chasing after your dog who just happened to find the taste of skeleton monster appealing the night the fire alarm went off?

Which reminds him. He needs to get Toby a treat or something. Best wingdog a skeleton could ever ask for. 

Even though he isn’t sure when he started falling for you, he knows now that there will never be another. For him, you’re the endgame. And that terrifies him. 

Your Kindness, your Justice, the swirling green and yellow colors in your soul, they seem to taunt him. They seem to say  _ you see this woman? well too bad, pal. she’s too good for you. if she ever found out what you’re truly like, then she’d run. _

He tries so hard to ignore it, but the truth of it stares him in the face. You deserve so much better than him, than a lazy, useless skeleton who’s killed children. One child, in particular, more than a hundred times. 

He lets these thoughts stew in his mind, or at least he tries to. But you’re always there, a beacon of sunshine, to pull him away from those thoughts. You fill him with hope that you could, maybe one day, forgive what he’s done. He needs you to. Because he loves—no. Because he’s  _ in love  _ with you. And while letting himself think that is the most terrifying thing he’s ever done, he knows it’s true. He loves everything about you: how you act around Madison, how you blush when he compliments you, how you make  _ him  _ blush when you tease him, the way your hair looks after you run your fingers through it, the way your hips sway when you’re walking Toby in the morning, the way your tongue feels pressed up against his…

Well. He’s very glad he has to conjure up certain, ah,  _ appendages.  _ Because if it were there all the time, then  _ hoo  _ boy. That would be a fun image to anyone who could see. 

Luckily, his mind is pulled out of the gutter when Madison splashes him. He looks at her, and she giggles, moving to splash him again. 

“oh, it’s  _ on _ , kid.” Before she can splash him again, he dodges out of the way, and splashes her right back. 

“geeettttttt dunked on!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have I ever told you guys how much I love writing from Sans' POV? because it is seriously. the best.
> 
> See you guys next time! Don't be afraid to send me a message on Tumblr about the story, or even just to talk!


	29. Emotional Rollercoaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's a doozy, guys. get ready for it.
> 
> Also I kind of delve into murky waters w/ regards to Undertale canon here. Bear with me, guys. I pulled half this stuff out of nowhere.

A few days after the waterpark, you’re lounging on the couch texting Ashley and petting Toby while Madison’s watching a kid TV show. You haven’t seen Ashley for most of the summer; she’s been on vacation in Hawaii with her family. You’re kind of super jealous.

**god I still can’t believe you and Sans are actually dating like what kinda fairytale shit…**

You roll your eyes and text back.

**yeah like you and everyone else but me didn’t see it coming from a mile away? I was so blind omg**

**you kinda were. but anyway guess what**

**what**

**I SAW A TURTLE WHEN WE WENT SCUBA DIVING TODAY!!!!!!!!!**

Yeah. Kind of really super jealous. You’re in the middle of composing a response when your phone buzzes again, this time with a message from Sans.

**hey. so. tori and frisk are coming over for dinner tonight. would you maybe wanna come over too? madison could meet frisk and tori wants to see you again especially since we’re dating now**

You hardly have time to process the text before another one comes through. 

**not that you have to worry or anything. toris cool. says she’s happy for me**

Well, you weren’t nervous about seeing Toriel again until  _ now.  _ But you know Sans is right. She’s just happy that things are going well for him. That, more than anything else, fills you with a sense of warmth. 

“Hey Madison,” you say. She turns around to look at you. “Do you want to go over to Sans and Papyrus’ for dinner? They’re having some friends over and I bet you’d really like them.”

“Okay!” she replies, not even hesitating for a second. Smiling, you respond to Sans. 

**sounds great! When should we come over?**

**is six good?**

**Six is great!**

**great**

With that settled, you finally go to answer Ashley.

**you have no idea how jealous I am right now**

Almost immediately, you get a picture message. Like she was waiting to send it. It’s a picture of her petting a dolphin. You lock your phone and throw it down on the couch in rage.

* * *

 

At six o’clock on the dot, you and Madison knock on the door to the brothers’ apartment. You don’t have to wait hardly at all before Papyrus opens the door.

“Good! You’re here!” he exclaims, ushering the two of you inside. You see Frisk, Sans, and Toriel all sitting at the table, looking your way. Toriel stands up and makes her way over to you. 

“Hello! I have not seen you in a long time!” she exclaims. “How are you, dear?”

You brush some of the hair out of your eyes. “I’ve been pretty good. A lot has changed,” you say, resting your hand on Madison’s back. 

“Yes, it has!” she says, turning to your niece. “Hello, little one! My name is Toriel. What is your name?”

“Madison,” she says, voice a little small. 

Toriel simply smiles gently and gestures to Frisk, who’s standing next to her. “This is my child, Frisk.” Frisk waves at her, grinning toothily. They bring up their hands and start signing. “Oh,” Toriel says, “What Frisk is saying is-”

“I know!” Madison cries, surprising all of you. “Frisk says ‘nice to meet you!’”

Frisk looks absolutely ecstatic, and starts signing again.

You, however, are shocked. “Madison, I didn’t know you know sign language!”

“Just a little,” she says. “Mommy and Daddy taught me some.”

Your heart clenches at the mention of Colton and Amelia. For what feels like the millionth time, you send up a thought, commending them for their job with Madison. “Well, we’ll have to get you a tutor, or something,” you say. “So you can keep up with it.”

Frisk starts signing to Toriel rapidly, and she chuckles before saying, “Frisk would love to volunteer! I know we live far apart, but I know there is some sort of video program humans use to communicate with one another over long distances…”

“Do you mean Skype?” you ask. You can see it now. Madison sitting in front of your laptop, learning signs from Frisk. Probably with some help from Toriel. 

“Yes! Skype!”

After that, you set up a plan for Madison to take lessons from Frisk and Toriel every Tuesday and Thursday at 3 PM. She’s really excited, and so are you. It’ll be good for her to interact with more people before she starts school. 

Dinner is spaghetti, of course. You really can’t see Papyrus cooking anything else. But you do notice that it has noticeably less glitter than the last time you had spaghetti here. There are only a few sparkles shining up at you this time. Apparently, he really did listen to you. 

Frisk, Papyrus, and Madison all devour their plates at inhuman speed. Toriel eats daintily and makes a decent dent in hers. Sans, well, every time you look at his plate there’s less spaghetti there. You have no earthly idea where it all goes, though. You’ve never once seen him eat any. 

You, meanwhile, manage to eat a little over half of it. It’s a lot better than last time, but you chalk that up to the lesser presence of glitter.

As the food is being digested, the table turns to conversation. 

“I must say, I am so happy that the two of you are together,” Toriel says, looking between you and Sans. “I had a feeling, when you came to Frisk’s birthday party.”

You smile, blushing a little bit. “You and everyone else, apparently.”

She cocks her head to the side. “Whatever do you mean, dear?”

“she means that i literally had to kiss her before she realized she liked me.”

“Shush,” you say, reaching across the table to playfully hit him. “You’re not supposed to tell people that.”

Toriel laughs, a sound akin to bells tinkling. Frisk, meanwhile, pulls out something that looks like a phone and types something out on it. They hand it to you and you read what it says to yourself. 

_ You make him happy. He deserves it. _

Smiling, you type out a response underneath it.

_ He makes me happy, too. _

When Frisk reads the message, they shoot you a thumbs up and tuck the phone away. The rest of the table looks at you, but both of you just wave it off.  __

“How is summer treating you, Cate?” Toriel asks. 

“It’s been nice,” you say. “Me and this little stinker,” here you ruffle up Madison’s hair, “are having a great time hanging out together. Isn’t that right, kiddo?”

“Yeah!” she pipes up. “Auntie Cate is the best! I’m sad that she has to go back to work soon.”

Toriel nods. “That’s right, you and Sans both work at Friedman University. I heard some wonderful news from Alphys the other day. Her soul study program was approved?”

If you had seen Sans stiffen up, you might not have said anything. But you didn’t, so you do. “Yeah! She even asked Sans to teach a class on it!”

The second everyone turns to look at Sans, you realize the mistake you’ve made. The inexplicable pupils of light that shine from his eyesockets are dimmed, and the grin on his face is anything but genuine. 

You seem to be the only one clued into this change in behavior because Toriel says, “That would be wonderful! If anyone is qualified to teach something like that, it is certainly you, Sans!”

“heh, yeah.” Oh, this is painful. You wish you could take back what you said. “i dunno, though. sounds like a lot of work. maybe too much for a  _ lazybone  _ like me.”

The others laugh at his pun, but you see right through it. And as the conversation moves on to different subjects, you can’t help but notice that your boyfriend still looks grim.%

He manages to keep up the façade throughout the evening, until Frisk and Toriel leave. Once the door closes behind them, you can see a metaphorical weight dropping on him. You go to say something to him, but he cuts you off, saying, “hey papyrus, why don’t you show madison your room? i bet she’d love it.”

Papyrus takes the bait, and Madison follows him gladly into a room on the other end of the apartment, leaving you and Sans alone. 

“Hey,” you say the second the door closes. “I’m really sorry about what I said at dinner.”

“it’s fine.”

Somehow, you don’t believe him. “No, it’s not. You told me you had your reasons for not taking the job, and I put you in a tight spot anyway. That was messed up of me, and I’m sorry.”

He looks up at you then, and you see something unidentifiable yet resolute in his expression. “hey, why don’t you take a seat?”

You oblige him, sitting down on the couch. He sits down on the other end, far away from you. “What is it?”

“i’m gonna give you the reason i don’t think i should take the job,” he says. “after i tell you, you can do whatever you want. you can leave, you can break up with me, whatever you need to do. but i need to tell you in one shot, otherwise i don’t think i’ll be able to.”

You bite your lip, watching him warily. “Sans, I don’t think-”

“please just let me do this,” he interrupts. You nod and sit back against the couch cushion.

“i guess this all starts with the barrier. the one that kept all of us underground. not a lot of people know this, but the barrier needed seven pure souls to be broken. and the only people who have pure souls are children. 

“by the time i came around, we already had five souls. five human children that had fallen down into the underground and died. i worked in the royal lab for a while. we did some, uh, some pretty bad things down there. the king wanted us to find a way to break the barrier with the souls we already had, without waiting for more. so we experimented on the souls we had. i experimented on the souls of  _ children _ . 

“that’s not all. after a while, the other scientists and i realized that i had a special gift. i could look at a person and see their soul clearer than any other monster could. i was given a new job. i was the judge. it was my job to look at the souls of the humans that fell, and if no one else had, it was my job to kill them.

“when the sixth child fell, i hoped beyond hope that someone would kill her before she got to me. but no one did. she made it all the way to me. the only thing that made it possible for me to kill her was that she had killed, too. a member of the dog family, in snowdin. and even despite that, i was ready to let her go and face asgore. but then she attacked me. i’m lucky i dodge quick, otherwise i woulda been dust. but after she tried to kill me, i knew i had no choice but to kill her instead. i think the look on her face as she died will haunt me until the day i turn to dust.

“frisk fell about two years after that. that was when the rules of the game changed. frisk can do something that no other kid that fell could. they can reset. turn back time. something to do with their determination. they can reset back to when they fell with no one else remembering. no one except me.

“the first time it happened, i was relieved. frisk killed a few times on accident on their first time, and i thought they reset to fix that. they did, but that time, they were killed by undyne. and so the cycle repeated, over and over again. frisk either reset when they died, or when they killed someone.

“after maybe fifty times, something changed. the frisk that went through the underground that time was different. not even frisk. they killed everyone. everyone, in the whole underground. i still remember finding papyrus’ dust in the snow. the kid killed him without a second thought. and when we met at the end of the line, i killed them. but they came back. and it kept happening, time and time again. i don’t know how many times i killed that kid. hundreds, probably. 

“and then, finally, they killed me. i felt myself turn into dust. part of me was relieved. i thought it was over for good. but then they reset again.

“i woke up in my bed in snowdin, like nothing ever happened. i’m still not sure whether i was relieved or angry. but i went through the same routine i always had. kid seemed normal. i kept going through the motions, but when we were having dinner at the mtt resort, they made me a promise. they told me this was the last time. and it was. i don’t know how the hell they did it, but the kid broke the barrier and well, here we are. 

“this is why i don’t think i should take the job to teach alphys’ class. i don’t deserve to. not with all these things that i’ve done. i defiled the souls of children. what right do i have to teach other people about them?

“cate, i’ve done some bad things. and i understand if you don’t want anything to do with me anymore. i just felt like you needed to know.”

When he finishes his story, he sinks down in on himself, like he’s completely out of energy. The resounding silence forces you to think about everything that he just said. 

You take a deep breath and let it out slowly, rubbing your temples. It’s a lot to process, what Sans said. And some of it sounds absolutely bat-shit insane. But you know Sans. He’s a lot of things, but he’s not a liar. Not about something like this. 

So. If it’s all true, then what does that mean? That Sans killed someone? A child? He’s so remorseful, you can feel the guilt rolling off him in waves. And this child tried to kill him. It was self-defense. And Frisk? Well, obviously the Frisk that murdered Toriel, Undyne, Papyrus, isn’t the same Frisk that was sitting by you at the dinner table tonight. 

You look over at Sans and see him staring straight ahead at the dark TV. You can’t even imagine what he must be thinking right now. Does he really think that after everything you’ve gone through with him that you would just leave him? 

Standing up, you walk over to his side of the couch. When he sees you moving, he jolts, looking up at you with resigned acceptance in his eyes. 

Oh, fuck that. 

You collapse onto the couch next to him, wrapping him in a hug, cradling the back of his skull with your hand. He’s frozen for a second, but then he melts, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you as close to him as he possibly can. 

“cate,” he says quietly, voice cracking. “what…?”

You pull back just a little so you can look him in the eyes. “You didn’t actually think I was going to leave you after that, did you?”

“but,” he starts, “but i’ve done-”

“I know what you’ve done,” you interrupt. “You told me what you did. And I’m telling you that you need to stop beating yourself up about it.”

He looks like he’s about to start speaking again, so you shake your head. “No, you listen to me. Better yet, listen to yourself. That girl you killed? She tried to kill  _ you.  _ She killed another monster! It was self-defense, Sans! And Frisk! You said so yourself, they  _ weren’t Frisk  _ when they killed all those people. Even if they were, you were perfectly justified in trying to stop them! Do you know what Frisk said to me tonight? They said, and I quote, ‘you make him happy. He deserves it.’ That’s right from Frisk’s mouth, Sans. You deserve to let these things go and just be  _ happy. _ You’ve done some bad things in your past; everyone has. But the you  _ I  _ know? You’re not that guy. You’re smart, kind, funny, and a million other things I love about you. So please. Stop beating yourself up about what happened underground and focus on the here and now.”

When you finish your rant, you’re out of breath. Your chest heaves as you watch Sans take in what you’ve said. He lifts up a hand to cup your cheek, and just as suddenly pulls you down into a deep kiss. You close your eyes and clutch at him, capturing the energy that seems to be radiating between the two of you. 

He pulls back, and looks up at you with wide eyes. “cate, i’m gonna say something.”

“What?”

“i love you.”

Blinking twice, you let his words wash over you. They bounce around in your head, over and over. And you find yourself agreeing. 

“I love you, too.”


	30. Penultimate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you guys like this chapter.

“Okay, so we need pencils, colored pencils, crayons, markers…” Your voice trails off as you look down the list of school supplies Madison’s kindergarten teacher emailed out. “Why anyone needs this much stuff for kindergarten, I don’t know.”

“Nonsense!” Papyrus protests from his position pushing the shopping cart. When you mentioned offhand that you and Madison were going to shop for school supplies later, he asked (okay, begged) to come along. Sans, however, stayed behind. After that emotional evening last week and after talking to him a few more times, he agreed to take on the teaching job from Alphys. Now he’s only got a few weeks to pull together a curriculum from the outline she drew up. He’s been working really hard and you’re so unbelievably proud of him. Even more so now that you know everything he’s been through. 

“I believe Madison’s list needs even more items on it!” Papyrus says, breaking you out of your thoughts. “For instance,  _ nowhere  _ on there does it even mention spaghetti!” Oh, Papyrus. You’d love to see the look on Madison’s teacher’s face if she showed up with boxes of uncooked spaghetti. Although, you suppose uncooked spaghetti noodles could be used for crafts of some sort.  

“I think Auntie Cate can make me spaghetti for my lunch,” Madison says, giggling. “You could help her, Papyrus! I love your spaghetti!”

“Well of course you do! It is the finest cuisine around!”

You roll your eyes at their antics and look back at the list and the aisle you’re currently standing in. The list says she needs a pair of safety scissors, and there’s about 20 different colors displayed in front of you. 

“Hey Madison, what color scissors do you want?” you ask. She comes up next to you and points at a light blue pair. You grab it off the shelf and throw it down into the cart. Then you take the pen out of your pocket and cross scissors off the list with a neat line. 

“Huh!” you say out loud when you read the next item. “Looks like you’re supposed to bring a container of Play-Doh, too!”

Madison’s eyes go wide. “Really? I  _ love  _ Play-Doh!”

Papyrus just looks confused. “What is this ‘Play-Doh’ you speak of?”

Madison gasps. “It’s so fun! You  _ have  _ to play with me when we go home! Auntie Cate! Can Papyrus come over and play with Play-Doh?”

You just smile. “If he wants too, then that’s fine.”

The sounds of your companions’ jubilation are overshadowed by your phone vibrating. Taking it out to look at it, you see that Sans has texted you. 

**hows the shopping going**

You text back as you watch Madison try and explain the concept of Play-Doh to Papyrus. 

**Madison’s explaining Play-Doh to Papyrus. So about as well as you’d expect. What about you? How’s the curriculum coming along?**

**ehhhhh. have i ever mentioned how much id rather be doing nothing**

**Only about a million times. But you can do it. I believe in you.**

**thanks. ill let you go back to shoppin now. love you**

**Love you too <3**

You put your phone away after that, smiling to yourself. It still feels a little strange, saying ‘I love you’ to someone again. But saying it to Sans just feels right. And when he says it to you, whether it’s in person or over text, you feel giddy inside. You’re taking that as a good sign. 

“Ooh! Can I have these markers!” Madison cries, handing you a pack of fifty different markers. Looking them over, you see that some of them have black bottoms instead of white bottoms. You look at the package and see that—

“Some of them smell!” she says. Sure enough, they do. Ten of them, in fact. You look at Madison’s pleading face, then at the price tag, then back to Madison. Damnit. She’s got the stronger argument. Against your better judgement, you drop the markers into the cart.

“Thank you!” she exclaims. “Can I have the big pack of crayons too?”

You have a feeling it’s going to be a very long day.

* * *

 

On September 3rd, just three days before both you and Madison start school, you drive five minutes to Hamilton Ridge Elementary School to meet Madison’s kindergarten teacher. 

“It looks sad,” she remarks as you pull up. She’s not wrong, you think as your eyes skirt over the brick walls and small windows. The painted parts of the walls are a sickly pink color. It reminds you of a prison, or a mental institution from the fifties. The cloudy skies don’t help, either. Everything is bathed in shades of grey. 

“The playground looks fun, though,” you say, pointing it out. You park right in front of it so Madison has a better view. “Look, there’s swings, some slides, and a jungle gym!”

“Yeah,” she says, her voice small and quiet. You turn around in your seat to look at her, and you see that she’s looking out the window with a sad expression on her face. Your heart sinks. 

“Honey, what’s wrong?” you say.

She shrugs, still not looking at you. “I don’t wanna go to school. I wanna stay home and watch movies with you and play with Papyrus and Sans.”

You take in a deep breath. “I know, sweetie. You’ll still get to do that, but just not all the time. And you’ll love school. I promise. Now, come on. Let’s go meet your teacher.”

She reluctantly gets out of the car, and you hold her hand as you walk to the entrance of the school. When you get inside, you see a sign pointing the way to different teachers’ classrooms. 

“Okay,” you say. “Your teacher is Ms. Sutherland. Look’s like she’s this way, in room 106.” You lead Madison to the left, and the two of you walk almost the entire length down the hallway. THe walls are pretty bare, but you think that’s just because school hasn’t started yet. If this elementary school is anything like yours, then the walls will soon be covered with student art. It’ll give the place some much-needed color, you think. Right now the inside looks a lot like the outside. Dull.

Pretty soon, the two of you come to the right room. The door is propped open, and you share a glance with Madison (she looks nervous and that makes you nervous, too) before the two of you walk in. 

You see Ms. Sutherland pretty much immediately. She’s talking to a couple, presumably the parents of the other child in the room. She looks young, and you can tell from the way she’s speaking that she has a lot of energy. She’s a tad bit shorter than you, around Sans’ height.

“Well, I’m very excited for Ethan to be in my class on Tuesday,” she says, a note of finality in her voice. The couple turns away from her and when you see who they are, your heart skips a beat. 

It’s the couple that was jeering at you and Sans when you went to the aquarium. The ones that you pointedly stared down as you embraced him. Looking at the boy, you recognize him, too. Luckily, none of them are looking at you right now. You hope that even if they see you, they won’t recognize you. You don’t want to make Madison’s time in school any harder than it’s already bound to be. Instead, you look straight ahead as you walk over to Ms. Sutherland, who’s looking expectantly at you.

“Hi there!” she says, extending a hand. “I’m Ms. Sutherland. And you are?”

“Cate Foster,” you answer as you shake her hand. “And this is Madison.”

“A pleasure to meet you!” she exclaims. Once you drop hands she turns to Madison and offers her hand as well. You worry for a second that Madison’s not going to do anything, but then she gingerly takes her teacher’s hand and shakes it.

“Hi,” she says. “You’re pretty.”

“Oh my goodness!” Ms. Sutherland says, giggling a little. “Thank you so much, Madison! You’re so sweet!”

Madison shrugs. “I just think you’re pretty. Auntie Cate is pretty too, but a different pretty.”

Ms. Sutherland looks at you with a pleased expression. You just smile back. 

“Are you excited for school, Madison?” she asks. 

“Kinda. I’m sad that Auntie Cate can’t come though.”

Ms. Sutherland nods solemnly. “I understand. Many of our students feel the same way about their families. But I think you’re going to like it here. Why don’t you go look at my Play-Doh collection while I talk to your aunt?”

“Okay!” Madison says, leaving the two of you for the other side of the classroom. Ms. Sutherland turns to you. 

“She’s a sweet child,” she says. 

You nod. “Yeah, she’s usually more talkative than this.”

“Children are usually shy when I meet them,” Ms. Sutherland says. “They always come out of their shell in a couple of weeks. Now,” she lowers her voice to be barely above a whisper, “I understand that you’re her legal guardian? The school records don’t tell me much other than that, I don’t suppose you would mind elaborating?”

You take a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m her legal guardian. Have been since her parents died in July.”

Ms. Sutherland frowns and looks over at Madison, who seems to be enjoying herself and building a tower out of Play-Doh. “Poor child. That must be hard, for her to lose her parents at such a young age. And if you’re her aunt, were you her mother’s sister, or…?”

You shake your head. “No, it was my brother that died.” Your voice catches a little as you say ‘died’.

Ms. Sutherland’s eyes seem to lose a little of their sparkle. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

You just nod and swallow to get rid of the lump that’s building up in your throat. “Um, Ms. Sutherland-”

“You can call me Judy, Cate,” she says. 

“...Judy. I’d prefer if, um, there wasn’t a big deal made out of the fact that Madison doesn’t have parents? If you can do that? She’s already going to have a hard time as it is, and I think that would only make it worse. She doesn’t need to be singled out like that, you know?”

Judy nods. “Of course. Whatever you think is best. I want the best for all my students.”

“Thank you,” you say, smiling. “That means a lot to me.”

Judy glances behind you and you see another couple and child waiting for their turn. “Please let me know if you have any questions or anything, Cate,” she says. “I’ll see Madison on Tuesday. Take care!”

“You too!” you say, walking away from her and to Madison, who’s finished playing with Play-Doh. “Ready to go, kiddo?”

“Uh-huh,” she says, standing up. She grabs your hand and you leave the classroom, walking back the way you came. 

It’s sunny outside now, and the sun makes all the difference in the school’s appearance. It just looks more cheerful. 

“I think I’m ready for school,” Madison says as you hoist her into her carseat.

“Well, that’s good,” you say. “Ms. Sutherland seems nice, huh?”

She nods. “She’s really pretty.”

You crack a smile. “Yes, you said that earlier.”

“I was just making sure she knew. Sometimes people don’t know that they’re pretty and that makes me sad.”     

You blink. Sometimes you forget how profound Madison can be. “Well, good thing there’s people like you to remind them!”

“Uh-huh!”

You finish fastening her in and shut the door, climbing in the driver’s seat. “Hey, what do you say we get some ice cream before we go back home?”

“Yeah!”

As you pull away from the school and onto the road, you think about Madison, and the summer you’ve spent together. After today, you’re still nervous as hell for her first day, but you feel a little better about it. 

Madison’s going to have a great time at school. You just know it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter's gonna be fun for me, y'all. take that as you will.


	31. Back To School Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme tell you guys, I did NOT expect to have this chapter out today. But hey. Miracles do happen.

When September 6th rolls around, you, Papyrus, and Toby are all waiting with Madison for her bus to arrive. Sans wanted to be there too, but he’s got a class starting in twenty minutes and he figured he shouldn’t be late. At least, not on the first day. 

The bus stop is, conveniently, right outside your apartment building. There’s maybe fifteen other kids there, all of different ages. Some, like Madison, look like they’re in kindergarten. You wonder if they’re in her class. 

“Auntie Cate, I’m nervous,” Madison says, clutching your hand tightly. You give it a squeeze and look down at her.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” you say. “I was always nervous for the first day of school. But it always turned out okay. I think you’re going to have a great day. And how about for dinner tonight we get a pizza?”

“Okay!”

You wait for a few more minutes, listening to Papyrus and Madison talk, before the bus shows up. Madison looks at you in a slight panic, but you usher her on. Before she leaves, she gives both you and Papyrus crushing hugs, and reaches down to kiss Toby on the head. Then she runs off, onto the bus. She sits on the side facing you, two seats back. When she sees you, she starts waving. You wave back, and neither of you stop until the bus rounds the corner and disappears. 

“I hope she’ll be okay,” you say to Papyrus. 

“Madison will be fine! She is very smart!” he says, attempting to reassure you. “Now, I do believe you have work to go to?”

You nod. “Yeah. I’ll see you later, Papyrus. Have a good day!” You grab Toby and bring him back inside.

Time to go to work.

* * *

 

The university has been really understanding of your situation with Madison. You were able to negotiate your hours so that you can get to work at nine and leave at three, just in time to get Madison off the bus. This does mean you work less hours per week and make less money, but you think that’s an okay concession to make, at least for a little while. Maybe after a month or so, you could ask Papyrus to be there when her bus drops her off. But for now, you’re just fine with doing it. 

There are no chemistry classes on Tuesday mornings, so you spend some time measuring out different molar concentrations of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. Looks like one of the labs is going to focus on titration. 

You finish up with that pretty quickly, so you decide to wander around campus. Okay, actually you decide to “wander” past the classroom you know Sans is teaching in (you may have texted Alphys this morning) and see how it’s going. You find it pretty quickly, and you’re happy to see the door is propped open. 

Leaning in the doorway, you’re filled with happiness at the sight in front of you. Sans is wearing a dress shirt and slacks as he lectures to a class of about thirty people. As you watch him, he gestures animatedly at his slides and fields questions from the students easily. He looks like he’s in his element and you couldn’t be more proud. 

He answers a question from a student sitting not too far in front of you, and you see his gaze flick up to meet yours. His smile grows by an infinitesimal amount, and you give him a small wave. To his credit, he snaps right back into professor mode, answering the question from the student. Figuring you’ve distracted him enough, you duck out and head back to the chemistry department.

When you get back, you check your phone and see that you have a text.

**wanna have lunch in my office today? 12:30?**

How he managed to sneak that text in when he was teaching, you have no idea. 

**It’s a date!**

At 12:25 you dash out of the chemistry department and practically sprint to the closest dining hall. You didn’t have time to make yourself a lunch today and you don’t want to be late for Sans, so you grab one of the boxed lunches the university offers and leave as quickly as you came. When you make it to the Physics department, it’s 12:28. You rush up a flight of stairs to Sans’ office and knock on the door, right on time. 

“who’s there?”

You love your boyfriend, but you’re not playing this game today. “Sans, it’s me.”

“sans, it’s me who?”

You roll your eyes and push open the door. Sans is sitting in his desk chair, looking tired, but happy. 

“aw, come on, cate,” he says in a teasing voice. “you know you love my jokes.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” you say, placing your boxed lunch on the desk and hoisting yourself up onto it, swiveling around so you’re facing Sans. “Doesn’t mean it’s true.”

“never underestimate the power of wishful thinking.” He pushes up from his chair and gives you a quick kiss. “how was your morning?” he asks once he sits back down.

“Pretty good,” you answer, picking up your lunch and digging through it to find something good. Ah. An apple. Perfect. “I almost spilled undiluted hydrochloric acid on myself, but that was about it.”

“yeah, gotta be careful with stuff like that.”

“What about you?” you ask. “I saw a little bit earlier, but how is teaching going?”

The lights in his eyes brighten up. “cate, it’s amazing,” he says, voice almost reverent. “the kids are all so eager to learn about souls. they tried to call me professor, though. that was weird.”

You smile. “Well, you  _ are  _ a professor. They’re going to call you one. It’s a sign of respect.”

“i just told ‘em to call me sans.”

“As you’re perfectly able to do,” you say. “That’s the beauty of being a professor.”

He nods. “it’s weird though, you know? i’m in charge of what these kids are gonna learn. i get to decide that. it’s weird.”

“It’s weird,” you agree. “It’s also weird that Madison isn’t with me. God, I hope she’s doing okay today.”

“she’s probably fine,” Sans says. “that kid is a barrel of sunshine. i bet she’s makin’ friends like nobody’s business.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” you say.

* * *

 

You have just enough time when you get home to take Toby out and put him back upstairs before Madison’s bus comes. When it stops and opens its doors, you watch attentively as the kids funnel out. You almost don’t spot Madison at first; her head’s down and she’s walking slowly forward. 

Oh. That’s probably not a good sign. 

“Madison!” you call to get her attention. She looks up, and you can see that her eyes are red and puffy, like she’s been trying really hard not to cry. 

Shit. 

She runs to you and barrels into your leg, hugging you tightly. You bring a hand down to cradle the back of her head. “Madison, are you okay? Did something happen today?”

She pulls away and you’re both shocked and saddened to see dark spots on your leg where her eyes were. “C-can I tell you u-upstairs?” She looks like she’s about to start bawling, so you simply nod and head inside. Dex isn’t working today, so you’re able to get into the elevator without anyone bothering you. As the elevator climbs to the fifth floor, you hold onto Madison, running through all the worst-case scenarios you can think of. How could this have happened? What could have made Madison so sad?

When you get into the apartment, Madison dashes into her bedroom and comes back out clutching the teddy bear you got her for her birthday. She jumps onto the couch and curls in on herself, and you sit next to her, brushing your fingers through her hair. 

“Honey, can you tell me what happened?” you say, quiet and calm. Even though inside you want to scream to the heavens and make whoever hurt her pay. 

She nods and starts to talk. “A-at lunch today I sat with some people from my class a-and they w-were talking about their mommies and d-daddies and then E-Ethan asked me a-about my mommy and daddy and I said that I don’t have any and they made fun of me!”

Your vision is tinged with red. How  _ dare  _ they? How dare these kids make fun of someone because she doesn’t have  _ parents?  _ You feel like you’re about to explode. But Madison is still crying. You have to stay calm for her sake. 

You swallow your anger and take a deep breath. “Who made fun of you, sweetie?”

She bites her lip before answering, “Um, Tyler, H-Hannah, and J-Jason.”

“What about Ethan?”

She shakes her head. “He left before that. He said he was sorry and then he went to play jump rope.”

Well. At least  _ someone  _ in that class is a decent person. You’re a little surprised to hear that it’s the son of that couple from the zoo, but that makes it even better, in your opinion. 

“What happened after that, sweetie?”

She sniffs and wipes at her nose with her sleeve. “They wouldn’t let me play with them at recess. So I played by myself.”

“Did you tell Ms. Sutherland?”

She shakes her head. “No! I didn’t want her to make fun of me too!”

You can literally feel your heart breaking. “Oh honey. Ms. Sutherland would never make fun of you. She’s there to  _ help  _ you. Will you promise me that, God forbid, if this ever happens again you’ll talk to her?”

She nods. “Okay.”

You put on a smile and give her a hug. “I’m so sorry that happened, sweetie. How about I put on some Sofia the First and you can watch it?”

She sniffs, and nods. You get it set up on the TV and head onto the balcony, shutting the door behind you. It’s glass, so you can see her. You sit down on the chair that’s out there, and then you let the emotional floodgates burst open. 

“ _ Fuck,”  _ you whisper emphatically, tears gathering at the corner of your eyes. “Jesus,  _ fuck!”  _

You’re the worst guardian ever. How could you have allowed this to happen? Madison is a five year old kid, she shouldn’t be dealing with shit like this. How the hell did Ms. Sutherland not notice? You’re going to have to call her, either tonight or tomorrow morning. This cannot be allowed to continue. 

Your phone rings suddenly, and you pick it up, grateful for the distraction. You don’t recognize the number, but you pick up anyway. “Hello, this is Cate Foster.”

“Hello, Ms. Foster!” The voice on the other end of the line sounds really familiar, but you can’t quite place it. “This is Ms. Jacobs, from Child Services! I was calling to inform you that I plan on conducting a home visit on Saturday, September 25th. Will that day work for you?”

Shit. You forgot about that. The social worker said she would come see how Madison was doing in a few months, and it’s been a few months. Well, you can’t exactly say no. “Y-yeah, that’s fine.”

“Would noon work for you?”

“Yeah, noon is perfect. I’ll see you then.”

“Looking forward to it, Ms. Foster!” 

She hangs up, and you set your phone down on your lap, more than a little tempted to pitch it off the balcony. Everything seems to be falling to shit today. Madison getting bullied, and now the social worker coming to visit. God, if you can’t get control of the situation at Madison’s school by then, will they take her away? 

Your mind is spiraling down, and you know you need to calm down. But you’re having a very hard time doing so. So you pick your phone back up and scroll down your list of contacts until you find Sans’ number. Your thumb hovers over it as you check the time. 4:05. You don’t want to call Sans if he’s still busy. But, you think, he’d want you to. Especially since you know you need him. So you call him. 

He picks up on the third ring. “cate? what’s up?”

Your throat catches as you try to speak but you push through anyway. “S-something happened with Madison at school, a-and I need…” Your voice dies before you can say it. 

“what do you need?”

“You,” you whisper into the line. “I’m sorry, I know you’re probably still at work, I shouldn’t-”

“where are you?” he interrupts. “tell me where you are and i’ll be there.”

“On my balcony,” you say. The line clicks off and in the next second Sans is standing in front of you, gaze full of concern. You must look a sight, because he comes forward and pulls you into a tight hug. You collapse into his arms and let the first tears fall.

“what happened?” he says into your ear. You pull back and look up at him.

“Some of the kids made fun of her for not having p-parents,” you say.

“ _ what?”  _ He looks  _ furious.  _ “what the  _ fuck?  _ who does that?”

You sniff. “Five year old kids, apparently.”

He shakes his head and slumps against the balcony. “that’s awful. is she okay?”

You shrug. “Who knows? She’s watching TV right now, you can see her.” You point at her and Sans cranes his neck to look. “I need to, shit, to comfort her, but I don’t even know where to start. Where  _ can  _ I start? God, and the social worker is coming for a home visit in a couple of weeks. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know why I thought I could do this.” The tears are falling in earnest now, but you make no move to wipe them away. 

“hey.” Sans’ arm wraps around your shoulder and pulls you into him. You let your head fall onto his chest and he uses his hand to wipe some of your tears away. “you  _ can  _ do this. you  _ are  _ doing this. what happened today was out of your control. what matters is that you go in there and you make her feel loved.”

You nod, and pull away from him, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. “Yeah. You’re right. Thank you, Sans.”

“no problem, sweetheart. anything else i can do to help?”

“You could order pizza and stay for dinner? Madison loves you, and having you around would make her feel better. And,” you say, looking down, “it would make me feel better, too.”

“yeah, of course.”

He stays out on the balcony as you head inside. Madison is watching the TV with rapt attention and, to your relief, she looks much happier. 

“Hey, kiddo,” you say, drawing her attention away from the screen. “How are you feeling?”

“A little better,” she says, her voice small. You sit next to her on the couch and she scoots over to you, burrowing into her side. “Why do they hate me?”

You sigh, smoothing her hair down. “They don’t hate you, sweetie. They just don’t understand. There’s nothing wrong with you, either. You’re just as good as the rest of them.”

“I won’t make fun of somebody with no mommy or daddy,” she scoffs. It makes you smile. 

“No, you wouldn’t,” you agree. “I guess that means you’re extra super good.” The two of you are silent for a few minutes, until you speak up again. “Hey, do you still want pizza for dinner?”

Her eyes widen and she nods. “Okay, great. Sans is ordering it right now. Do you mind if he eats with us?”

“Sans is here?” she says, shooting up. “Where is he?”

“On the balcony,” you say. And just like that, she’s off, throwing open the door to the balcony and giving Sans a big hug. He looks down at her for a minute, and then over to you. You join them on the balcony and Madison pulls you into the hug too. With one arm wrapped around your niece and one around your boyfriend, you allow yourself to finally relax. 

Sans is right. You  _ can  _ do this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got sad writing this chapter, guys. Kids can be so mean. 
> 
> Luckily, things are looking up from here!


	32. Checking In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get another chapter out! Go me!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this one as well!

“Auntie Cate, why are you vacuuming the couch?” You can barely hear Madison over the roaring of the vacuum. 

“We’re having a visitor today,” you yell over the noise, sweat collecting on your brow. You’ve been at this all morning, getting the apartment ready for Ms. Jacobs’ visit. “And all the popcorn we’ve been eating on the couch really started to pile up.”

“Sans and Papyrus come over all the time and you never clean the couch for them.”

“This visitor’s a little more important.”

She gasps. “More important than  _ Sans?” _

You laugh and turn off the vacuum cleaning, your purging of the couch complete. “Well, sort of. We’re getting a visit from a social worker. Her name is Ms. Jacobs.”

Madison comes over to help you put the couch cushions back in their rightful places. “What’s a social worker?”

“They, uh, they help kids who have to go through sad stuff. You know Mr. Bubbles, from Lilo and Stitch?” She nods. “Yeah, he’s a social worker.”

“But he tries to take Lilo away from Nani!” Her eyes go wide. “Is Ms. Jacobs gonna take me away from  _ you?”  _

You shake your head. “No, honey! No. Ms. Jacobs is just coming here to make sure you’re doing okay. She won’t take you away from me. I promise.” 

Madison nods and crushes you in a hug. “Good. I don’t want anybody to take me away. I wanna stay with you.”

“You will, honey,” you say, rubbing her back in a soothing motion. “Nobody can ever take you away from me.” You’ll make absolutely sure of that. 

You’re just glad that Madison’s rough first day at school was the bad apple in the bunch. Once Sans left after dinner, you turned on the TV for Madison again and stepped outside, calling both Ms. Sutherland and the school’s principal. When you told them what happened, both promised you it would never happen again. And it didn’t. Madison told you that the next day, the class had a “special visitor”, a woman who talked to them about bullying and respect. She said that at recess, one of the kids who had been mean to her invited her to play with them and they all said sorry. 

Since then, you’ve had a couple of Madison’s new friends over at the apartment. Even though they sometimes make messes (as kids are prone to do), it warms your heart to see Madison making friends her own age. Their parents all seem kind, too. One of Madison’s friends’ mom brought over a batch of cookies she’d just made. She told you her older brother had died just a few years ago, and she understood the pain. Overall, things have gotten a lot better.

Another new development is that Madison’s new friends have started calling her Madi. You didn’t notice at first, but when she has friends over, they only call her Madi. When you asked her about it, she said that’s what she goes by at school. You haven’t quite made the switch yet. 

Things have also been going pretty well for you this past month. Work is the same as ever, but you’ve been helping out with labs more often. You love this new change. You meet Sans for lunch almost every day, and he always has some new story to tell you about his class. From what you hear, it’s going really well for him. And that makes you beyond happy. Like Frisk told you, Sans deserves to be happy. 

“How long is Ms. Jacobs gonna stay?” Madison asks you, breaking you out of your thoughts. 

“Oh, not that long,” you say as you walk over to the table to straighten the tablecloth. “Probably just through lunch. She’ll probably ask you some questions. Just answer truthfully, and it’ll be fine.”

“What  _ kind  _ of questions?”

You check the spaghetti on the stove (this is the last time you ask Papyrus for ideas on what to cook). “She’ll probably ask you if you’re happy. If you like living with me. Nothing to worry about.”

“Well duh I like living with you. You’re my Auntie Cate and I love you.”

No matter how many times you hear it, it always brings a smile to your face. “And I love you.”

You continue cleaning (with a little help from Madison), and at 11:47 you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket. Taking it out, you see a message from Sans. 

**youre gonna do great today babe. love you.**

Even though your nervousness is building with every second the time gets closer to noon, this text manages to calm you down. You smile as you reply. 

**I know. Love you too**

You manage to finish all the cleaning in time to smooth down your hair before there’s a knock on the door, precisely at noon. 

Opening the door, you see Ms. Jacobs standing there, smile on her face. She looks the exact same as when you last saw her.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Foster!” she says. 

“Hi, Ms. Jacobs! Please come in!” You usher her over the threshold and close the door behind her. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble for you to come out here. We’re pretty far from Fayetteville.” Your adult small-talk is a little rusty, but you’ll give it a go anyway.

Her smile widens, if that’s possible. “No worries, Ms. Foster. It was no trouble.” She turns to Madison, who’s trying her best to stand up straight. “Well, hello! You must be Madison!” She holds out her hand and Madison shakes it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.” She says. She seems much less shy than when she met Ms. Sutherland for the first time. You take that as a good sign. “Auntie Cate said you were a social worker. Like Mr. Bubbles in Lilo and Stitch!”

She chuckles. “I am a little like that, yes!”

You cut in. “Ms. Jacobs, would you like to see the rest of the apartment?”

“I certainly would!” she says. So that’s what you do. You show her around both bedrooms (Toby’s on your bed and she finds that absolutely charming), the balcony, and the bathroom, which you’re thankful you spent a lot of time cleaning. Ms. Jacobs seems relatively impressed, and you’re thankful for that. Once the tour’s over, you tell her to have a seat at the table and you bring out the spaghetti. 

“How is school going for you here, Madison?” Ms. Jacobs asks once you’ve all taken a few bites. “Are you making friends?”

Your niece nods. “Yeah! Ethan and Hannah are my besties!”

“Glad to hear it! And what about the apartment? Do you like living here?”

Madison makes a face that you can only interpret as saying ‘duh’. “Uh-huh! Auntie Cate is the best! And Sans and Papyrus live downstairs!”

Ms. Jacobs cocks her head. “Oh? Who are Sans and Papyrus?”

You’re finding it hard to swallow, all of a sudden. Your throat feels like it’s constricting as your mind runs through all the horrible things that could happen if Ms. Jacobs finds out you’re dating a monster. What if she has horrible prejudices? What if she thinks that makes you unfit to raise Madison? 

You can’t stop her, so you just sit there helplessly as Madison says, “Sans is Auntie Cate’s boyfriend, and Papyrus is his brother. They’re both skeletons and they’re really nice!”

Stomach plunging down from nervousness, you count your breaths.  _ In, out. One. In, out. Two.  _

“Skeletons?” Ms. Jacobs asks. You can’t tell her thoughts from her voice. 

You nod. “Yeah,” you say, surprised your voice isn’t shaking. “My boyfriend and his brother are skeleton monsters.”

She turns to face you, and you search her expression for any clues on how she feels. She’s betraying nothing. Every second that passes by in silence is another second your heart rate speeds up.

You’re about to speak, to try and explain yourself, apologize, you don’t know, but Ms. Jacobs beats you to it. “You never said you were seeing anyone when I first met with you, Ms. Foster.”

Swallowing in an attempt to clear the lump in your throat, you start to speak. “Well, I wasn’t dating him at the time. That’s a more, uh, recent development.” Not  _ that  _ recent, you remind yourself. 

Ms. Jacobs just simply nods, and turns back to focus on Madison. “Your aunt’s boyfriend...he’s nice to you? Nice to her?”

“Yeah! Sans is the best!” Madison says proudly. “He listens when I tell him stories and he makes funny jokes even though Auntie Cate says they’re not funny but I know she’s lying because she smiles after he tells them and she  _ thinks  _ I don’t see it but I  _ do  _ and then I tell Sans and that makes him laugh. He has a good laugh.”

Finally, Ms. Jacobs smiles again, and you feel your whole body relax. “That’s wonderful, Madison. My husband, he has a good laugh, too. Makes the rest of us laugh as well.”

After that, the conversation moves on to other things. Not too long after, you all finish lunch and Ms. Jacobs announces that she’s seen all she needs to see. She says goodbye to Madison and asks you to step out into the hall with her for a moment.

“I didn’t mean to alarm you in there,” she says. “I noticed how you tensed up when Madison mentioned your boyfriend. I had worried that there might be some, ah,  _ problems  _ in your relationship. If you catch my drift.”

Wait. The reason she became so serious all of a sudden was because she thought Sans might have been, what,  _ abusing  _ you? That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard. But you suppose it makes sense, given your actions and the information Ms. Jacobs had to work with. After all, she  _ is  _ a social worker. She has experience with these kinds of things. 

“No. _ God _ , no. Sans and I are doing great. I was actually worried that you, uh, that you had prejudices against monsters. And that would somehow make you think that I wasn’t fit to take care of Madison.”

Ms. Jacobs’ eyes widen. “Oh no, Ms. Foster! I couldn’t care less that your boyfriend’s a monster. It certainly threw me for a moment, but no. That wasn't a concern at all.”

You nod, your heart rate calming and your stomach unclenching. “Good. Is there anything else you need?”

She just smiles. “No, nothing. I’m perfectly confident that you’ll be able to give Madison everything she needs. Feel free to call me if you ever need anything, and I wish you both the best of luck.”

You shake her hand as a parting gesture. “Thank you, Ms. Jacobs.”

“And thank  _ you,  _ Ms. Foster!”

When you head back inside, Madison is coloring at the table. As you approach, she looks up at you. “I wanna be a scientist for Halloween.”

You blink. “Halloween? Isn’t that a month away?”

Madison nods. “Yeah. October 31st. But other kids at school are already getting  _ their  _ costumes. I don’t wanna be the last one.  And I wanna be a scientist. Just like you and Sans.”

You stop yourself from saying that neither of you are really  _ scientists _ . You just wear lab coats, sometimes. When you do experiments. In labs. Okay so you see where she gets the idea. 

“We can do that,” you say after a second. “Gosh, I hadn’t even thought about Halloween yet. But you can borrow my lab coat, if you want. I bet I could snag you a pair of safety goggles, too. You’d look super sciency.”

She giggles. “Okay, and what are  _ you  _ gonna be?”

You pretend to think for a second. “I think I’ll be Cate Foster.”

Madison laughs and latched onto your leg. “No, that’s cheating! You could be a princess! Or a police officer! You gotta be  _ something. _ ”

“Hmm, I dunno,” you say. “I guess we’ll have to come up with ideas. Now, what do you say we watch a movie?”

Madison picks The Princess and the Frog (one of your favorites) and the two of you settle in. A little while into the movie, you’re struck by how much you absolutely  _ love  _ the hair styles. And the outfits. You’ve always been fond of 1920s fashion. 

...Wait. Now there’s an idea.

“Hey Madison, I know what I want to be for Halloween.”

She’s ecstatic. “What?”

“A flapper girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna let you guys know right now that I am totally pumped to write the next two chapters. Y'all have no idea. It's gonna be gr8.
> 
> THAT BEING SAID. I am a college student. College students often have things to do like writing essays and suffering. I have a ~600 word essay due Friday (not that big of a deal) and a 5-page essay due Monday (much bigger deal-20% of my grade in that class). Not to mention I have to learn about till drainage and its effects on flooding. Thanks, Geology 110. So I'm not exactly sure how long these next few updates will take? I might forsake my duties as a college student to write them, or I might actually be a good student and get my homework done. We'll see.
> 
> See you guys next time!


	33. Spooky Scary Skeletons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter last night at like 1 AM but I decided to wait to post it until now. But here it is! 
> 
> And before any of you yell at me for neglecting my homework, I only have like a paragraph and a half to write for my essay! It'll be fiiiiiiiine!
> 
> Also: [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYsfIYUV4Gk) is the video that will be referenced later in the chapter. Some spooky shit, y'all. 
> 
> Enjoy!

On Halloween morning, you’re infinitely grateful that Friedman University’s mid-term break falls on this particular Monday. It’s hard enough getting Madison ready for the day without worrying about getting yourself ready, too. To make this flapper girl costume work, you're going to need to do a lot of work. 

But you can’t focus on that now. You have to turn Madison into a little scientist. 

“I wanna sleep more,” she whines when you go into her room to wake her up. “Do I  _ have  _ to go to school today?”

“Only if you want to wear your costume,” you say. “Happy Halloween, sweetie.”

With a start, she throws back the covers. “I forgot! Oh my gosh! I  _ have  _ to go to school!”

Maybe getting her ready will be easier than you thought. 

She makes you pull her hair up in a ponytail, because “ _ real  _ scientists have their hair up.” Then you make her change into jeans and a T-shirt to wear underneath her lab coat (she tried to convince you that science works better when you’re wearing pajamas) and slip the coat over her shoulders. Just as you expected, it’s a little long on her. Especially the sleeves. You help her roll them back and hand her the pair of safety goggles you borrowed (without asking) from one of the chemistry lab rooms. 

“There you go,” you say. “Now come on. Let’s get you down to the bus stop.”

As the bus drives away, you see other kids taking an interest in her costume. She looks happy, and you know today’s going to be a great day for her. 

Now it’s time to make it a great day for you. You take Toby to the park so he can do his business and then head back upstairs to get yourself ready. 

You start with a shower. You need to get your hair wet for the curlers you bought to work, plus you just want to feel refreshed. And smell nice. 

Once you get out of the shower you brush out the tangles in your hair and get to work, rolling your hair up into the curlers. Some are tight and some are loose, and you hope that what comes out of them will look good. Until they dry, however, you don’t have that much else you can do with yourself. You get dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a button-up shirt, careful not to mess with your hair, and then you find a book and sit out on the balcony with it. It’s chilly today. You guess it’s a good thing that your apartment building sponsors a trick-or-treat program inside the building. 

This will be the first year you’re experiencing it. You’re really excited. You haven’t had an excuse (or a desire, really) to dress up for Halloween since you were in college. This should be really fun. 

Which reminds you. You should text Sans and see what he and Papyrus’ plans are for the evening. You pull your phone out of your pocket and compose a message. 

**Happy Halloween! What are you and Papyrus doing today?**

You don’t have to wait too long for a response. 

**pap got us both halloween costumes but i dunno what were gonna do with em. you?**

**You could come trick-or-treating with Madison and I! I’m getting dressed up too.**

**sounds cool. whats your costume?**

You smile. 

**It’s a surprise.**

He doesn’t answer, and you laugh to yourself. A few minutes later, though, you get a text from Ashley. 

**cate oh my god you have to show snazzy this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYsfIYUV4Gk**

Feeling more than a little nervous, you tap on the link. You’re redirected to the YouTube app, and when you see what the video is, you have no choice but to forward it to Sans.

You wait a few minutes for him to watch it, and then you get the first of several confused texts.

**cate**

**cate what the fuck is this**

**what is this spooky scary skeleton shit**

**explain**

Laughing, you just decide to call him. 

“cate. please. what the fuck.”

“That, my dear Sans, is Spooky Scary Skeletons.”

You can practically hear his exasperation on the other end of the line. “yeah, i got that. what i don’t get is literally everything else.”

“Well, back in the 1950s, Disney made a cartoon. With a song. That song is very catchy and it’s about, well, spooky scary skeletons.”

“that send shivers down your spine?”

You smile. “Well, obviously.”

The line is silent for a moment before Sans answers. “so...what time should paps and i be over?”

“Five thirty? The trick-or-treat thing begins at six, so that’ll give us time to get ready.”

“and what are you doing right now? since we don't have work ‘n all.”

You think you know where this is going, judging by the shift in his tone of voice. “Nothing much, really. Reading.”

“mind if i come over?”

You laugh to yourself as you stand up, leaving the balcony and closing the door behind you. “Not at all.”

“cool.” The line clicks off and Sans teleports into your apartment, straight on the couch. 

“It still freaks me out that you can do that, you know.”

He chuckles and gets up. “does it send shivers down your spine?” He looks over at you, and you can see the confusion blossom on his face. “...what did you do to your hair?”

You smile. “These are curlers,” you say, touching one. “They make my hair curly.”

“okay, but why?”

His confusion is kind of adorable. “It’s for my Halloween costume.”

“your halloween costume involves making your head look like cotton candy?”

You shake your head. “No, once my hair dries I’ll use hairspray and then I’ll take the curlers out. It’s make sense when you see me later. I promise.”

He shrugs, and walks over to you, pulling you towards him with an arm around your waist. 

“Hi,” you say. 

“hey,” he answers, before giving you a kiss. “are you sure about this whole pink head thing?”

Rolling your eyes, you shove him away before flopping down on the couch. “Positive. Now come here so we can watch a movie or something.”

He does, and you lean into his side as you scroll through Netflix. 

“hey,” he says, head tucked into your neck. “i love you.”

Smiling, you give him a quick peck on the cheek. “I love you too.”

* * *

 

Sans leaves after a little while (with promises to come back at five-thirty) and by the time you’re standing outside waiting for Madison’s bus to get back, your hair’s dry. You’re excited to see how it turned out; you hope it looks okay. 

When Madison gets off the bus, she’s just as happy as she was this morning. 

“Ms. Sutherland really liked my costume!” she says. “And she let me do pretend science with Play-Doh!”

“That’s awesome, sweetie!” you say as you walk back into the lobby and to the elevator. “Are you ready to go trick-or-treating tonight? Sans and Papyrus are coming with us.”

“Yay!” she cries. “What are they going as?”

“You know, I never asked them,” you say. “I guess we’ll find out later.”

When you get back to the apartment, it’s time to make some magic happen. Going into the bathroom, you spray around your head with hairspray and let it sit in for a second before you take out every last pink curler in your hair. 

You’re  _ very  _ satisfied with the results. Just like you planned, some curls are loose, some curls are tight. Either way, your face is framed by them. A perfect base for the rest of your outfit. 

You head to your room, thanking Madison for her compliments to your hair along the way. The dress you bought specifically for this occasion is hanging in your closet, and you pull it down and pick some nylons out of your dresser. You undress and shimmy into the tights, sending thanks to the sky that they still fit. Then you pull the dress on, thankful that you don’t have to wear a bra with it. It’s a short dress, only going down to your mid thigh. That’s part of the reason you have the nylons. It’s black, with small shiny tassels in layers. If you shake side-to-side, it looks like you’re shimmering. You like it. 

The next thing you do is pull out a black lacy headband and push it down over your hair. That’s about as close as you’re going to get to a flapper hairstyle. 

When that’s done, you pull out the makeup you seldom use and go to town. You pick out a red shade of blush, gold-tinged eyeshadow, and a red lipstick you forgot you had. It takes you a few tries, but you eventually make it look pretty good. 

When you’re finished, you go back out into the main room, where Madison’s dancing around, singing a song about...squirrels? Eh, whatever. She eventually sees you and freezes, staring at you. 

“You look so pretty!” she cries. “Sans is gonna be  _ so  _ surprised!”

You laugh. “What, you don’t think I’m always pretty?”

She shakes her head. “You’re  _ extra  _ pretty right now.”

You smile and take a seat at the table, checking the time on the stove clock. 5:07. Sans and Papyrus should be here soon. You can’t wait. 

“Auntie Cate, I have a question.”

You look over to see Madison standing there, clutching at the sides of your lab coat. 

“What is it?” you ask. 

“Do you and Sans love each other? Like Mommy and Daddy did?”

You feel tears building up at the corner of your eyes but you push them down. That’s the exact opposite of what Madison needs to see. 

“I...don’t know. I think so. Your mom and dad, I know they loved each other very much. And Sans and I, we love each other too. I hope that we love each other half as much as your parents did.”

She comes over to you and gives you a hug, and it’s all that you can do to stop yourself from crying. “I think you do, too,” she says. And you’re not sure if that’s childish optimism kicking in or what she really thinks. 

You’re not sure it matters.

* * *

 

When the knock on the door comes, Madison darts up immediately to go answer it. You stay sitting on the couch, excited to see Sans’ reaction to what you’re wearing. 

You hear Papyrus first. “Why hello there, Madison! I see you are a, uh. What are you?”

“I’m a scientist! Like Auntie Cate and Sans!”

You hear the deep chuckle you know belongs to your boyfriend, “looks great, kiddo. where’s cate?”

Madison giggles. “She’s on the couch. She looks  _ really  _ pretty tonight.”

“oh does she?” he says. You turn your head just in time to see him and Papyrus step through the doorway. Looks like they’re wearing matching outfits. Suits, with fedoras...hmm. They look like gangsters from the 20s or something. Very Al Capone. 

“Looking good, boys,” you say, standing up in what you hope is a dramatic way. You watch Sans’ face as he gaze flicks to meet yours, and as the lights in his eyes brighten as he looks at you. 

“heh,” he says. “you don’t look so bad yourself. hair looks nice.”

You smile. “Told you.”

Papyrus is the next to speak. “Cate! You look so nice! What is your costume?”

“I’m a flapper girl,” you say, spinning around so your dress shimmers. 

Papyrus puts a hand on his chin and nods slowly. “Ah, yes. A...flapper girl. Well, I do not know what that it, but I do know that you pull it off magnificently.”

Madison comes over to you and tugs at your dress. “Can we go now? I want candy.”

“In a minute,” you say. “Got your pillowcase ready?”

“Oh! Hold on!” She rushes over to the linen closet and pulls out a pillowcase. “Now can we go?”

You nod. “Sure. Lemme just grab my purse.” You pick it up from the kitchen counter and make a quick stop in your bedroom to say goodbye to Toby. He allows you to pet him for a few minutes before he goes back to napping. You love your dog. 

“Alright, let’s go,” you say.

* * *

 

Trick-or-treating in an apartment building is weird, you will admit. But it’s kind of fun, to watch Madison knock on doors and get candy. Some people (adults and children alike) even complement Sans and Papyrus on how spooky and scary they look. Every time they do you turn to Sans and shoot him a look. He just shakes his head. 

There is one moment though, when Sans is standing next to you as Madison’s receiving a giant chocolate bar. He leans in close and whispers, “you look really beautiful tonight.”

Blushing, you trace over his bony fingers with your own. “And you look very handsome. The gangster look suits you.”

“oh does it? well then i’ll say that the flapper girl look suits you, too.  _ very  _ well.” The way his voice dips sends a spark right through your core and you find it hard to breathe for a moment. Your thoughts race back to that dream again, and you find yourself wanting very much to test the limits of Sans’ magic. 

When you finish trick-or-treating, it’s nearly nine, and Madison looks dead on her feet. She’s got school in the morning, so you bid farewell to Sans and Papyrus and ferry her upstairs, but not before telling Sans to drop by later, once Madison’s asleep. 

“Did you have a good time, sweetie?” you ask as you tuck her in.

“Uh-huh!” she says. “I have a lot of candy!”

You smile. She sure does. “Just don’t eat it all at once, okay?”

She nods, but you see her eyelids drooping. “Goodnight, Auntie Cate. Love you.”

“Goodnight, Madison. Love you too.”

You close her door and go back to your room, where you undress and put on some sweatpants and a tank top instead. You also wash off your makeup, but you leave your hair in the curls for now. You like them that way. 

Walking back past Madison’s room, you listen at the door. Yep, she’s definitely asleep. Without a second thought, you pull out your phone and text Sans. 

**Madison’s asleep. Can you come over now?**

His response comes quickly. 

**yeah gimme a sec**

A couple minutes later, you’re sitting on the couch and he appears right in front of you. If you hadn’t been expecting it, you would have jumped right out of your skin. But no, this is Sans. Teleportation is just something he can do. With his magic. 

“hey,” he says. He’s back in his sweatshirt and shorts, hands in his pockets. “your hair’s still all fancy.”

“Yeah,” you say. “I mean, it took most of the day to get it like this. Why should I waste it?”

He flops down in the corner of the couch next to you and you lean into him. “how does it stay like that?”

“It’s the hairspray,” you say. “Here, feel.” You take his hand and guide it to your hair, letting him feel how stiff it is. He tugs at it for a bit before his hand migrates north to your temple, giving you a little massage. It feels heavenly, and you slump down onto his shoulder. 

“Mm, remember when you did that for me when I had that hangover?” you ask. “That felt so good.”

“well, i did use magic,” he says, sounding smug. Yeah, magic. That...gives you an idea. 

“You can do  _ so  _ much with your magic, can’t you?” you say, sitting up from him and turning around so you’re facing him. “You can teleport,” you straddle his legs with yours, “you can give me a killer massage,” you lean forward so you’re a hair’s breadth away from him, “you kiss me with a magic tongue.” He uses it now, capturing you in a kiss. 

When he pulls away, you look up at him with half-lidded eyes, and you see blue sparks in the air around him. “y’know, cate. that’s not all i can do with my magic.”

“Oh yeah?” You lean forward, your mouth resting by where his ear would be. “Show me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHAT'S GON HAPPEN NEXT CHAPTER FOLKS
> 
> (they gon fuck)


	34. Oh Oh Oh, It's Magic, You Know*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pfft this took longer than I thought it would
> 
> but yeah. sexual content warning for this chapter. 
> 
> have fun with it, you sinners.

Sans shifts his head, capturing your mouth in a kiss. As you press back, you feel him shifting underneath you, holding you against the arm of the couch. 

“H-hey,” you whisper, pulling away from him. “As much as I’d love to just, uh, do this right here on the couch, I feel like we should move. To the bedroom. Which locks.”

“oh. r-right,” he says, a slight flush on his cheekbones. “we should. uh. do that.” 

He backs up, leaving you enough space to get up and straighten your tank top and your pants (they’re a little disheveled). You take his hand and pull him towards your bedroom, mind reeling. Is this really going to happen? Are you really going to do this with Sans?

His presence at your back while you lock the door, his head tucked into your neck and hands on your waist, convince you that yes. This is happening. 

You finish and step back, whirling around to face him. His grin’s as wide you’ve ever seen it, and you’re sure the expression on your face mirrors his. 

Turning to pull him towards the bed, you’re stopped by the fact that, well, Toby’s lying there. Staring at you. 

“Toby!” you say as loud as you dare. “Toby, come on!” You walk over to the bed and shoo him off. He looks affronted as he walks to the door. Which you locked. Whoops. 

“Goddammit,” you whisper to yourself as you unlock the door and let him out. “Get out of here, dog. Go on.”

He leaves and you close the door, locking at again with a deep and pained sigh. Turning around again, you see Sans sitting on the bed, looking very amused.

“Don’t say a word,” you warn him, going to sit next to him. “Don’t you say a fucking word.”

“what? i was just gonna say-” He’s cut off by your finger pressed up against his mouth. 

“Not. A. Fucking. Word.” You stop him from saying anything further by kissing him again, climbing on top of him and pushing him down onto the bed. You feel his hands skirting over your tank top and gripping your hips, but he makes no move to go farther. That’ll have to change. 

You pull back and, without a second thought, you pull off your tank top, exposing yourself to him. Sans looks at you, his expression one of shock and, you think, arousal. But he still just sits there, like he’s waiting for you. 

“You can touch me,” you whisper, leaning over him, your breasts hanging down over him. You see how his gaze flits between them. “I’m not gonna bite you.” Then, in a stroke of genius, you say, “Unless you want me to.”

Sans remains silent, but a skeletal hand comes up to skirt around your left breast. You bite your lip and nod slightly, encouraging him. Your knees come down in either side of his legs as he continues to touch you, his other hand coming up to caress your cheek. 

“god, you’re so beautiful,” he whispers, looking up at you with an adoration you’ve never seen from anyone before. Not your parents, not anyone. 

Emotion wells up inside you and you kiss him, tears welling up in your eyes. Sans’ hands come to rest on your bare back and as you kiss him, you push up his sweatshirt, brushing up against the bone that lies there. 

“ _ hnn _ ,” he groans, and you laugh into his mouth. You continue to touch him like he touched you, and his actions get bolder as you go. 

First, his hip-bones start to move up and down, pressing against you. There’s definitely something solid down there, and the thought of that makes you  _ very  _ excited. 

Then, without warning, he flips over, causing you to land on the bed on your side. You let out an ‘oof’ followed by a quiet giggle. 

“ _ That’s  _ more like it,” you say to him, continuing to push up his sweatshirt. He pushes your hands away and swings a leg over you so he’s straddling you now. 

“you’re such a tease,” he says in a low voice. You simply smile sweetly back at him. 

“Someone had to be,” you say. “Otherwise we’re never gonna get anywhere.”

Sans looks at you with a glint in his eyes that borders on dangerous before he kisses you, his tongue pressing against yours. As your eyes shut, you feel his hands pushing down your sweatpants, one feeling you through your underwear. 

“i can be a tease too,” he whispers into your open mouth as a single finger begins to run you through the fabric.  _ Oh shit.  _

Your eyes shoot open as you bite back a moan. If it were a different circumstance, you’d be a little louder. But there’s only a few walls between you and Madison, and this is  _ not  _ something you want her hearing. 

Sans, meanwhile, is smirking down at you. “you like that, huh?” He strokes you again, and your leg spasms a little. You feel yourself getting wetter, and Sans must feel it too, because his grin grows. 

“Sans…” you whisper, half a prayer, half a plea. 

Slowly, maddeningly, he peels down your panties and you’re shocked by how cold the air feels. Sans, meanwhile, seems transfixed. “i love you,” he says. 

“Mm, then show me,” you say, finished with this teasing. 

So he does. His thumb rolls over your clit and your hips roll forward, as if doing so will maximize the effect. Half-distracted, you reach up and grab at his lower ribs and spine, the bones you’ve managed to expose with all your work. He groans again as you do this, and the sound coupled with his touch nearly sends you over the edge. But, while tempting, this isn’t exactly what you want. 

“Mm, Sans, h-hold on,” you say, your voice quivering. His hand pulls back, and he looks down at you with concern. 

“cate, do you want to st-”

“Stop?” you finish for him. “No. God, no. Don’t stop. I just...you promised me more magic. And I haven’t, uh, seen any yet.”

“ _ oh, _ ” he says, grasping your meaning. “i...uh. it. uh.”

The picture of eloquence, your boyfriend. “Sans. Come on. I felt  _ something  _ down there.”

He flushes blue, and you wonder if it’s the same color that—oh. Yes. Yes it is.

“don’t you dare laugh,” he says as he pushes down his shorts to reveal a bright blue (yes, bright blue!) cock. And even though you should really find this absurd, or at least something that deserves a laugh, you don’t. You’re deathly serious right now. 

“Can I, uh, can I touch it?” God, could you sound any more awkward? But Sans nods, and you touch it at the base, causing him to blush and moan. It’s firmer than it looks, and as you pump your hand up and down its length, it feels like it’s slightly lubricated. And even though it looks like a slightly fat blue popsicle, you feel yourself getting more aroused at the sight. 

“mm. cate. you’re—’m gonna-”

You let go, and lean back against the pillows, pushing off your sweatpants and panties completely and leaving your legs slightly open. “Better hurry up, then.”

He nods distractedly, and one of his hands reaches for yours as the other guides his cock into you. You do your best to relax as he slowly pushes in, but it’s been a while. And you think he’s a little thicker than average. 

“Yes,” you breathe out, squeezing his hand. “Oh shit, Sans.”

He grunts in response, pulling out just a bit before pushing back in again, farther this time. The drag you feel as he moves is absolutely  _ delicious.  _

A few turns of this and you start rocking back and forth with him, urging him to move faster. And he does. Oh, he does. 

There’s a point where he’s moving in you and you’re moving around him where everything just...falls into place. You’re not sure where it’s coming from, but you just feel an overwhelming sense of completion. There’s just one thing that would make it perfect, and you think Sans figures it out at the same time you do. 

“cate, c-can i?”

You nod. “Yes. Please. Take it out.”

You feel a tugging sensation in your chest and then, there it is. Your soul rises up from your chest and hovers above you. It’s shaped like a heart, with green and yellow swirling around like food coloring in water. It’s...it’s beautiful.

Sans seems to think so too, because he hasn’t taken his eyes off of it. “oh, cate,” he sighs. “i knew you had a good soul, but  _ this _ ,” he gestures to it, “this is  _ magnificent. _ ”

“Can I see yours?” you ask. He nods, and after a second you see his soul floating in the space in front of him. It’s white, an upside-down heart. Where yours has colors swirling inside, the cyan color of his magic swirls around the outside of his soul.  

Before you realize what you’re doing, you reach for it, feeling an almost insatiable need to touch it. But when Sans sees what you’re doing, he blocks it with his hand. 

“cate,” he says in a warning tone. “if you do that…”

A memory darts through your mind. Cherry blossoms, Toby tugging on the leash, and Sans, telling you about souls. 

_ “there are two ways to pull out a soul. combat and intimacy. and i’m pretty sure you don’t want to get into either of those in the middle of a city park.” _

_ “What kind of intimacy are we talking, here?” _

_ “the soulmate kind.” _

“What’s going to happen?” you ask him breathlessly. “Are we...will we-”

“we’ll become soulmates,” he says. His voice sounds almost reverent. “and there’s no undoing that. no force aboveground or underground could stop it.”

You know you should be concerned by what he’s saying. You should step back and think about this. But you don’t want to. You can’t really explain it, but you almost feel like you have to do this. 

Sans must be feeling the same way; his gaze hasn’t left your soul yet. You can see his fingers twitching, as if he’s restraining himself from reaching out and touching it. 

“Sans,” you say. “I want this. I want to touch your soul. And I want you to touch mine.”

“are you sure?” he asks, his voice shaking. 

“Only if you are,” you say. 

He uncovers his soul, and you reach for his at the same time he reaches for yours. 

You’ve never felt anything like this before. Not even close. The feeling of touching Sans’ soul and having yours touched by him simultaneously is, well. It’s a lot. You can sense two sets of emotions in sharp relief, yours and his. There are little indicators that separate them in your mind, but for the most part, they share the same feeling: overwhelming love. This is a feeling you’ve never experienced before, not with your parents, or your friends, or any of your past boyfriends. It all feels so overwhelming. 

You can read every nuance, every fluctuation in his soul, and you guess he must be able to do the same with yours. You can physically  _ feel  _ his anxieties, his worries. You can tell he’s almost in a panicked state over what the two of you are doing. You wish you could soothe him, tell him that this is what you wanted, and you still want it. 

Just like that, his panic subsides. His soul calms, and you find yourself wondering,  _ did I do that?  _ You’re not sure what just happened, but you think your soul reached out to his. Calmed it down. What you do know is that this is, hands down, the best feeling you’ve ever experienced. 

Just as soon as it began, however, it ends. You and Sans release each other’s souls at the same time, and as you recover from what you just experienced, you realize that you both must have climaxed. You’re sitting up, and Sans is leaning into you, looking like he’s just run a marathon or something. You suppose you must look the same way. 

“cate,” his voice croaks out, like he has a sore throat. “holy shit. i love you.”

You have a feeling he wants to say a lot more, but he doesn’t need to. You pull him towards you so you’re both lying at the head of the bed. “I love you too, Sans. So much.”

“mm.” He snuggles into you, one hand wrapping around you to rest at the small of your back. “can i...stay here, tonight?”

“Of course,” you say. “You can always stay here.”

You separate your body from his (even though he tries to hold you tighter) and slip back on your panties and your tank top before lying back down. The sweatpants lie forgotten as you curl up under the covers with your boyfriend and go to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that happened. 
> 
> Might be a while before the next update, as I don't have anything after this planned out in detail. Making it this far was a goal in and of itself, so now I gotta figure out *exactly* where I'm going next. 
> 
> But hey! As of this update this is officially the longest thing I've ever written! I never thought I'd ever accomplish something like that! Go me!


	35. Never Believe It's Not So

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow sorry for the wait on this one guys. it was family weekend at my college so I've been hanging out with my mom, aunt, and cousin, as well as my cousin's 3 year old and 1 year old
> 
> the 1 year old happens to be named Amelia, and she's my tumblr icon right now because she makes the funniest goddamn faces.
> 
> But yeah. It's been a busy few weeks for me and I don't see it getting much easier before Thanksgiving. 
> 
> Enough of my complaining, here's the chapter!

When you wake up the next morning, you feel warm and satisfied, like everything in your life is going right. And as you open your eyes and look at the sight in front of you, you’re reminded why. Sans is sleeping right up against you, one arm resting on your hip and his legs tangled with yours under the covers. You can see his jacket slowly rise and fall, like he’s got invisible lungs inside his ribcage, inflating and deflating. It’s fascinating. 

You wouldn’t mind lying there and watching him sleep forever, but it occurs to you that you have other things to do this morning. While Friedman is still on mid-term break, Madison’s got school today. And it’s your job to get her ready. Which means you need to get up. 

Slowly, you start to untangle yourself from Sans. As you do so, however, his features twist and he moves to find you with his arms, eyes still close. 

“no,” he mumbles, still half asleep. “stay.”

You smile. “I want to. But Madison has school today and I need to get her ready. But I’ll come back once her bus comes, okay?”

You feel his nod more than you see it, but you shrug out of his grip and stand up, stretching your arms over your head. 

Oh. You feel  _ sore.  _

You guess it makes sense; you used some muscles last night that haven’t been properly exercised in years. Hopefully, you think with a wry smile, casting your gaze over your dozing boyfriend, you’ll be using them a lot more from now on. 

But enough about that. You need to get Madison up and ready to go, but you need to take a shower first. Sleeping with the hairspray in your hair was kind of a bad idea, because when you look in the mirror you see a bedhead that can only be rectified by the resetting powers of water. Plus the hot water will feel good on your muscles. 

You grab some clothes and head to the bathroom for a quick scrub-down. Once that’s done, you get dressed and tower off your hair, using a comb to style it the way you want. Checking the time on the kitchen stove (you’ve still got plenty), you crack open the door to Madison’s bedroom. 

“Hey sweetie, it’s time to get up for school.”

When her only answer is a groan, you take a few steps closer to her bed. “If you get up right now I’ll put an extra piece of candy in your lunch.”

Just as you thought, that gets her up quick as a wink. “Can it be Fun-Dip?”

“Only if you’re ready to go in ten minutes!”

She’s never gotten ready that fast before in her entire life.

As you slide her a bowl of cereal, you contemplate mentioning that Sans stayed the night. It feels weird, keeping that a secret from her. At the same time, you’re not really sure what to say. Obviously you can’t tell her what  _ really  _ happened. But last night, it felt like something between you and Sans changed. Becoming soulmates, you have no idea what that might entail, especially in the long run. If it’ll affect Madison in any way, she deserves to know what’s going on. To an extent. 

So you breach the subject gently. “Hey Madison, guess what?”

“Wha?” Her mouth is full of cereal, but you understand what she’s saying.

“So, uh, Sans and I had a...sleepover last night.”

Her eyes go wide as she swallows her food. “Really? Where is he?”

Your gaze flicks over to your bedroom door. You’re pretty sure Sans does not want a nosy five year old girl interrupting his precious naptime. “He’s still asleep, honey. He was really tired after last night.”  _ Goddammit, Cate. _ “I’ll tell him you said hi, okay?”

Reluctantly, she nods. “Is he gonna be here when I get home from school?”

“Probably not. He has work tomorrow, like I do.”

She accepts your explanation and finished her cereal without complaint. Then you walk her down to the bus stop with Toby and see her off. 

“Sorry about kicking you out last night, buddy,” you say to him as he does his business in the park. “You understand, right? It’s nothing personal.”

His only comment is to tug on the leash once he’s finished peeing. 

You take him back upstairs and note that Sans hasn’t come out of your bedroom yet. You wonder how he manages to get to work on time. 

Heading into the bedroom, you see him lying on the bed, fiddling with his phone. 

“Madison says hi,” you say. He looks up at you and you see the pinpricks of light in his eyes widen slightly as he takes you in. His expression is inscrutable. 

“What’s wrong?” you ask, wondering if there’s cereal on your face or something. But he shakes his head. 

“nothing,” he says. His voice almost sounds reverent. “it’s just...your soul’s a little more blue now.”

It takes you a second, but when you realize what he means you’re grinning like a fool, a red blush overtaking your features. You’re still grinning as you plop down on the bed next to him and give him a kiss on his cheekbone. 

“What about you?” you ask, propping yourself up with your arms behind you. “Is your soul a little more, uh, green? Yellow?”

He nods, not taking his eyes off of you. “yeah, it is. i shoulda expected this. i knew becoming soulmates affects the people  _ somehow,  _ just not in such a visible way.”

You snuggle up to him, head lying on his chest. “Now you have something new to share with your class!”

He chuckles. “i guess. though i might leave the, ah,  _ particulars  _ out of it.”

“What, you  _ don’t  _ want to talk about your sex life with a bunch of college kids?”

“doesn’t really appeal to me, no.”

The two of you stay like that, for a while. At one point Sans’ fingers come to massage your scalp and you almost doze off, only to be interrupted by your phone, ringing from your pocket.

When you check the caller ID, your stomach drops. “Shit,” you mutter, before answering. “Hey, Dad.”

“Catherine. Hello.” He speaks with the same bored tone you always hear from him. “How is everything going with Madison? Is she adjusting?”

These are things your parents would know if they had bothered to call any time before now. Oh well. At least he  _ called _ you. “Yeah, Madison’s having a great time. She’s made a lot of friends at school and we had a great time trick-or-treating last night.”

“Wonderful. Well. I was calling to ask you and Madison to join your mother and I for Thanksgiving. I’m sure Madison will want to—she’s been coming to Thanksgiving with Colton and Amelia ever since she was born.”

You hate being reminded of all the family gatherings you weren’t a part of. And you know that if you didn’t have custody of Madison, your parents  _ still  _ wouldn’t want you there. Wouldn’t have even  _ talked  _ to you. There’s a part of you that wants to tell your dad to go fuck himself, to stay home and have Thanksgiving with Sans and Papyrus, the people you’re starting to regard as your true family. 

But Madison wouldn’t understand. She doesn’t know why you were never around for her first few years. She would be confused, and more than likely sad that she wasn’t spending Thanksgiving with her grandparents. And while you know you need to have a talk with her about what happened, it can wait until she’s older. So as much as you want to stay home, you know your hands are tied.

“Okay,” you sigh into the receiver. “Yeah, okay. We’ll be there. Fayetteville?”

“Fayetteville,” he replies. “We can pay for your tickets, and we’ll have a driver ready for you when you get to the airport.”

As usual, trying to buy his way to what he wants. “I can pay, Dad. It’s fine.”

“No, I want to,” he insists. The authoritative tone he’s using reminds you uncomfortably of your childhood. “I want to do this for you and Madison.”

You’re surprised; he  _ almost  _ sounds sincere. You don’t want to trust him, but you’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. “Okay, Dad. Fine. I guess we’ll see you then. Let me know what our flights are soon, okay? I’ll probably need to take some time off work.”

“Will do. Tell Madison hello for me. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

The line clicks dead and you groan, flopping back onto the bed. Sans looks at you with concern. “your dad? what did he want?”

“Guess me and Madison are spending Thanksgiving in Fayetteville,” you sigh. “I wish I hadn’t said yes. But apparently Colton and Amelia went every year. And Madison would think it was weird if she didn’t go.”

“won’t she think it’s weird if you go?”

You look up at him. “That’s what I thought. But I said yes anyway.”

“it’ll be okay,” Sans says in an attempt to reassure you. “he’s not gonna do anything with madison there.”

“Ugh, I hope not. But I’m mad. I wanted to spend Thanksgiving here this year, with you and Papyrus. It would have been so much  _ fun. _ ”

Sans pats his stomach and you lie your head down on it, thinking about how soft it is. Like a pillow. Magic, you assume. “yeah, it would have. not gonna lie, it woulda been great. but there’s some things you just gotta do. we had you for halloween, let ‘em have you for thanksgiving. just means we get ya for christmas.”

You smile up at him. “And what if they want us to come there for Christmas, too?”

“tell ‘em to go fuck themselves.”

* * *

 

By the time Madison’s back from school, Sans is gone, leaving you to tell her the plans for Thanksgiving. 

“Yay! I love Grandma and Grandpa’s house!” she cries.

_ At least one of us does,  _ you think. “Well, we’re gonna go there for Thanksgiving! I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun!”  _ I hope. _

“Can Sans and Papyrus come with us?” she asks. “That would be awesome!”

You smile sadly. “It would be, but they can’t come. They’re gonna be busy. Plus, they need to watch Toby for us while we’re gone! We don’t want him to starve!”

Madison giggles and gives him a pat on the head. “Uh-uh!” she agrees. “Can they come next year?”

“We’ll see,” you say.  _ Who knows? Anything can happen. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)


	36. Moving Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS SORRY THIS TOOK A LONG TIME
> 
> but I have a good reason maybe??????
> 
> okay so I started trying the No-Mercy route again two weekends ago (I got stuck on Undyne the first time around in February and gave up) and managed to get all the way to Sans by the second day I had it. Then it took me until today to beat him. 88 tries in all. I have the fight dialogue completely memorized at this point. But I beat him earlier tonight (on Halloween, haha) and promised myself that I'd get this chapter out to celebrate.
> 
> So, here it is!

A few days later, you’re looking through the giant chemistry storage room, taking stock of the chemicals and writing down what Friedman needs more of. It’s dull work; you have to search the shelves for the item you’re looking for and then try to figure out if there’s a lot of it or a little of it. And this is literally the only thing you have to do all morning. So you’re immensely grateful when the door to the storage room opens. Finally, something to break the monotony of the morning’s work. 

“Cate? Are you in here?” That's Dr. Nelson. You haven't seen her lately, not since earlier in October. You step out from behind a shelf and into view of the door. 

“Hey, Dr. Nelson!” you say, almost dropping the clipboard. “How are you?”

She smiles gently, and you feel comfort wash over you. Dr. Nelson has always had this effect on you, even back in your very first chemistry class in your first term at Friedman. She is, you think wryly, more of a mother than you ever had growing up. You couldn’t have chosen a better mentor for your adult life. 

“I’m doing just fine, Cate,” she says. “And how are you? Haven’t spilled any indicator solution all over the ground again, have you?”

You roll your eyes. “That was one time! And the janitors got the red out of the linoleum! Eventually.”

She just laughs. “Hey, we all learned something that day. Like how to properly handle indicator solution. Or that the linoleum floor was slightly acidic.” Her expression grows a little more serious. “Cate, I have something to ask you. A favor, if you will.”

You turn to face her completely. “What is it?” With everything Dr. Nelson has done for you over the years, you’d be remiss to refuse whatever it is she wants you to do. 

“Well, as you know, I think you were one of the brightest chemistry majors to ever graduate from this school.” Her words make you blush, and your mind drifts back to the day you graduated from Friedman. Your family wasn’t there, of course. But Dr. Nelson was. She found you at the reception afterwards, and when you told her your situation with your family, she offered you a job on the spot. You remember her words like it was yesterday.

_ “You’re one of the smartest students I’ve ever had. It would be a damn shame to let that talent go to waste working at McDonald’s or something.” _

Your train of thought is interrupted as Dr. Nelson continues to speak. “I was wondering if you’d like to try your hand at teaching.”

You blink. “Wait, what?”

She just smiles. “Teaching. I know that right now you’re a glorified TA, but you can do so much more.  _ Should  _ be doing more. Everyone in the department knows you’re qualified to teach Chem 110, at the very least.”

Teaching? You? You’re not sure how you feel about this. On one hand, that’s so exciting. You’d get to try and instill in freshmen and sophomores the same love for chemistry that Dr. Nelson instilled in you when you took her class. But at the same time, you’re worried that you’d mess it up somehow. You’d screw things up right in front of your mentor, your hero. 

Dr. Nelson seems to sense your worries. “I know you’d be great for it, Cate. The curriculum hasn’t changed in years. It’s the same stuff you learned when you were a freshman, and the same stuff you’ve been assisting with ever since you graduated. If I weren’t absolutely sure you could do this, I wouldn’t ask you.”

You swallow to try and clear the lump in your throat before you speak. “I’m flattered, honestly, I am. But I’m not sure-”

“Cate,” she interrupts you gently, yet sternly. “You  _ can  _ do this. I need you to.”

“What do you mean?”

Dr. Nelson leans against one of the shelves. “Next term I’m going on sabbatical with one of the geology professors, Dr. Haileab. We’re going to the East African Rift Valley to do isotope analysis on the lava flows there. We just got our funding request approved yesterday, and I got the other chemistry professors to cover my more advanced chemistry classes. But I need someone to cover my intro-level chemistry lectures, and you’re the best person I could think of.”

Oh. Wow. You knew that Dr. Nelson and Dr. Haileab were working on  _ something.  _ Both departments knew it. But nobody knew what. “That sounds...amazing!” you say. 

She nods distractedly. “So will you do this? Please?”

You could never say no to her. “Of course, Dr. Nelson.”

Her face visibly brightens. “Thank you so much, Cate! This is such a relief, you have no idea.”

You just smile. 

“You’ll get a raise,” she continues. “And sometime next week I’ll email you all my notes from when I’ve taught the class. I can’t thank you enough for doing this.”

“God knows you’ve done more for me,” you say. And you mean that. Wholeheartedly. You’re pretty sure you’ll never begin to repay Dr. Nelson for everything she’s done for you. 

Hopefully this is a good way to start.

* * *

 

About half an hour before your lunch break, you send out a group text to Sans, Ashley and Alphys, telling them that you’ve got some good news and to meet you for lunch in the cafeteria. 

When you’re all together, plates full of food of questionable quality, you clear your throat and start talking, hardly able to contain your excitement. 

“So Dr. Nelson approached me today,” you begin. “And she asked me if I wanted to teach Chem 110 next term.”

Ashley reacts first. “Cate, that’s amazing! What did you say?”

You can’t hold back your smile. “I said yes, of course!”

The table holds a mini celebration. Ashley and Alphys both squeal and reach across the table to give you hugs, and Sans leans over to nuzzle against your cheek. 

“bet dr. nelson had a great  _ reaction  _ to that.”

You’re too happy to get mad at him for his stupid pun, and you even allow yourself to laugh at it. You’re just too excited right now for anything to get you down. The delight on Sans’ face at hearing you laugh makes you feel even better. 

“This is going to be so cool!” Ashley says. “You’re practically a professor now!”

You smile, but shake your head. “Nah. I’m more like a substitute teacher.”

“The  _ coolest  _ substitute teacher! Maybe if you do a good enough job, they’ll keep having you teach!”

“Maybe,” you say. “Or maybe I’ll be the worst chemistry teacher ever and they’ll fire me.”

All three of them look ready to yell at you, but as they look at your face, they realize you’re kidding. 

“So what’s your schedule gonna look like?” Ashley asks. “More hours, less hours?”

“I’m not sure yet,” you say. “Dr. Nelson said I’d probably have three sections of lecture to teach, depending on how many people sign up. But it’s intro chem, so I’m thinking a lot of people will sign up.”

“three, huh? that’s one more than me.”

You smile at Sans. “Well, Friedman’s kind of famous for its chemistry program. Give it a while, and I bet you’ll have to teach four sections!”

He groans, and you all laugh.

* * *

 

When Madison gets off the bus that afternoon, you can hardly contain your excitement. She doesn’t pick up on that, though, and she spends the whole ride up the elevator and the walk down the hall to your apartment telling you all about the game she played at recess. 

“And then Ethan said that he was the lava monster and that we had to stay off the ground because it was lava! And Ethan had to stay on the ground but he could try to get us and it was really fun!”

“That’s great, sweetie!” you say, allowing your excitement from getting promoted to full your voice. “I had a pretty good day, too!”

Madison perks up. “Ooh! Did  _ you  _ play ‘the ground is lava’ too?”

You shake your head but smile all the same. “I wish. But no, I got promoted!”

“What does  _ that  _ mean?”

“It means I have a better job now! I’m gonna teach, like Ms. Sutherland!”

Comprehension dawns on her face. “Oh. Are you gonna teach kindergarten?”

You laugh. “No, sweetie. I’m gonna teach college kids. It’s kind of the same thing.”

She giggles, and after that she goes to pet Toby. She flops down onto the couch and he burrows into her, almost like a cat. You leave them there and walk into the kitchen, searching the fridge for some sort of snack. You pull out a container of grapes, and cut a few small bunches loose before washing them. You put them into two bowls and hand one to Madison, warning her not to let Toby have any. 

As she munches on a grape, she turns to you. “I can’t wait to see Grandma and Grandpa again! We haven’t seen them in  _ forever _ .”

You stop yourself from saying anything that isn’t completely polite. “Yeah, you miss them, huh?”

She nods. “We used to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s all the time! I bet they miss us so much.”

_ Miss you, at least.  _ You smile at her but on the inside you’re shaking your head. You just hope that Thanksgiving will go by quickly. And that it will be at least a little pleasant. 

Scratch that. You just want to make it through without a fight. For Madison’s sake. And, well, for yours. You’re tired of fighting with your parents. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The more I think about it, the more I realize that Lawrence is a mixture of Richard Gilmore from Gilmore Girls and Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones.
> 
> Which would make Cate...Tyrion? Hell if I know.
> 
> Also, shout-out to my Geology 110 professor! He got a mention in this chapter, because he's the best professor ever. 
> 
> See you guys next time!


	37. Difference

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always think I can remain super ambiguous about the settings of my stories, but then I do stuff that makes that impossible. 
> 
> SO. Cate, Madison, Sans, Papyrus, etc. all live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Toriel and Frisk, along with a lot of other monsters, live in Washington, DC. Cate's parents live in Fayetteville, North Carolina. For the purposes of this story, Mt. Ebbot is in the Appalachians. 
> 
> now that that's all squared away, on with the story!

On the day before Thanksgiving, Papyrus drives you and Madison to the airport. Sans would’ve come too, but he has a class to teach this afternoon. The two of you said your goodbyes before you left. Besides, it’s only going to be for a few days. 

The drive to the airport is short, and before you know it, you’ve got your bags unloaded. Papyrus gives both you and Madison a hug, and promises he’ll take good care of Toby for you. Then he gets back into the car and drives away, leaving you and Madison by yourselves. 

“Ready to go?” you ask her. “We just need to get through security and then we can get on the plane.”

She nods, but something seems off about her this morning. You just chalk it up to her being tired. 

Making sure you have the boarding passes, you show your ID to the TSA officer in front of security. She scans the boarding passes and lets you through, reminding Madison that since she’s younger than 13, she doesn’t have to take her shoes off. You, of course, don’t have that luxury. 

“I should just get Pre-Check,” you mutter to yourself as you place your shoes, coat, phone, keys, and carry-on bags on the conveyor belt. Madison walks through the metal detector and you follow her. You’re both clean, of course. You recover your things and grab Madison by the hand, looking at the ticker to make sure your flight’s on time. It is. 

“Okay, we’re not too far away,” you say. She just nods, and follows you through the bustling airport.

You get to your gate in plenty of time, so you set your bags down and head over to the Starbucks that’s conveniently located right next to your gate. You order a peppermint mocha for yourself and get Madison a hot chocolate, making sure to get extra whip cream on both. 

Once you get your drinks, you hand the hot chocolate to Madison. She says thank you, but you can tell she’s distracted or upset or something. 

“Is something wrong, sweetie?” you ask her once you’re back at the gate. 

She looks out the window, and points to your airplane, waiting on the tarmac. “Mommy and Daddy were in one of those. And it crashed.”

You’re an idiot. It’s Madison’s first time flying in a plane since Colton and Amelia died. Of  _ course  _ she’s going to be worried about it. 

You set down your mocha and take Madison’s free hand. She looks at you, and you can see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. 

“Oh sweetie,” you say. “Nothing's gonna happen. I promise you. I’ll keep you safe.”

“You promise?” Her voice is so quiet, you have to strain to hear it. 

“I promise.” Madison sets down her hot chocolate and launches herself into your arms, hugging you tightly. 

You stay that way until you hear the airport intercom: “Flight 5687 bound for Raleigh is now boarding all passengers. Thank you, and have a nice day.”

“That’s us,” you say. Madison hops down and the two of you get into the line to board the plane. 

Hopefully it’s a safe trip.

* * *

 

That was one of the tamest plane rides you’ve ever taken, and you couldn’t be more thankful for it. You’re not sure Madison would be okay if the ride got too bumpy. Luckily, once the plane was up in the air and she could look down at the ground (you gave her the window seat) she started to feel better. She was even pointing out how the ground was covered in little squares. You explained to her that the squares were farms. 

You and Madison leave the plane with your things and start following the mass exodus of passengers away from the gate and to the main terminal of the Raleigh airport. You haven’t gone far before you see a group of people, all holding signs with names on them. Scanning the signs, you find one that reads “Catherine and Madison Foster”. You bite your lip at the sight of your full name. It’s going to be a long week. 

You walk up to the person holding the sign, a man who appears to be in his forties. You introduce yourself and Madison, and he shakes both your hands. 

“I’m Grayson Rivers,” he says. “I’ll be driving you to your parents’ house. Welcome to North Carolina.”

“Thanks,” you say. You and Madison follow him outside, where a town car is waiting for you. The sight makes you roll your eyes. Could your father be any more ostentatious? Well, you suppose he could have used a limo instead. In that case, you’ll settle for the town car. 

It’s a little over an hour’s drive to Fayetteville, so you look out the window as Raleigh fades to suburbs, then farmland, then back to suburbs until finally you see a sign welcoming you to Fayetteville.

“Are you excited to go home?” Madison asks you.

“Well, Fayetteville isn’t really my home,” you say. “When I was little, we lived in Washington, DC. And then after I moved to Philadelphia to go to college, your dad and grandparents moved to Fayetteville. So I’ve never actually lived there.”

“Oh.” She’s silent for a second. “Why did you move so far away?”

_ Why indeed.  _ “I got a job working at Friedman,” you say. It’s true, for the most part. “So I had to live in Philadelphia. But I like it there. It’s where I got Toby, and where I made all my friends.”

“And you met Sans?”

You smile at her. “Yes, and I met Sans. So you can’t say it’s a  _ bad  _ place.”

She shrugs. “It’s my home, too.”

Grayson pulls up to your parents’ house not too long after that. He tells you he’ll handle the bags, so you and Madison walk up to the front door. You let her ring the doorbell. 

Just a few seconds later, the door opens to reveal your parents. Madison runs forward to give them both a hug, but you hang back, making awkward eye contact with each of them and waving. 

“Hi Grandma! Hi Grandpa!” Madison says. “I missed you!”

“We missed you too, sweetheart,” Mary says. “Now come on, let’s get you inside. It’s cold this time of year.”

It’s got to be at least sixty degrees out, but you shrug and follow the others into the house. Okay, mansion. You’re not sure why two people need all this space, but whatever. It’s your parents, you should expect things like this. 

Your parents decide to take you on a tour of the house, so you get to suffer through their opulence as they take you through room after boring room. The only room that looks halfway interesting is what your parents tell you was used as Madison’s room when she stayed here. The walls are pink and there are toys neatly stacked against one of the walls. It’s homier than the rest of the house, but it still feels so...clinical. You can’t help but wonder what Madison’s childhood would have been like if she’d stayed here. It’s a scary thought. 

“How was the trip?” Mary asks. 

“It was fun! We saw farms and cars from the sky! They were super small.”

Your mother smiles, and you feel yourself cheering up, too. Thank goodness Madison’s here to lighten things up. 

“Well, shall we sit down for dinner?” Lawrence asks. “I assume you’re hungry?” The question is directed to you but once again, it’s Madison who answers.

“I’m starving!”

With that, Lawrence leads you into the dining room (just as opulent as the rest of the house) and you all sit around the table. Your parents sit across from each other at the far ends of the table, and you and Madison take the other two places. Seconds after you sit down, some people come out of the kitchen carrying plates of food. You remember your parents having servants when you were younger, but having it throw in your face again is a little startling. 

When a plate is set down in front of you, you see that it’s salmon, with white rice and asparagus. This is a meal you remember really liking as a child. 

“The meal’s a little plain tonight,” Lawrence says. “The kitchen is getting ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow.”

“Are we gonna have cranberry sauce?” Madison asks, having already eaten half her piece of fish. “That’s my favorite.”

“Of course we are, sweetheart,” Mary says. “I’ll be making it tomorrow, just the way I know you like it.”

Madison grins, and goes back to devouring her food. 

“So, Catherine,” Lawrence says. “How is everything going with Madison? Do you have enough money for what she needs?”

This is  _ hardly  _ an appropriate topic of conversation over dinner, with Madison  _ right there.  _ “Yeah, Dad. We’re doing just fine. I actually just got a promotion at the university.”

He nods. “Well, that’s very good news.”

“Auntie Cate is gonna teach college kids!”

You smile. “Pretty much, yeah. I’m excited.”

“When do you start?” Mary asks. 

“January,” you say. “I’m starting at the beginning of winter term. I’ll be teaching intro-level chemistry.”

Lawrence straightens. “You’ll be starting your new job just as Foster will be opening up a new building in Philadelphia.”

You blink, your stomach dropping out from underneath you. “Wait, what?” 

Your panic must be obvious, because Lawrence immediately says, “It’s not a plant. We won’t be doing any manufacturing there. We’re just opening up an office building for the corporate side of things.”

“But why Philadelphia?” you ask.

“Because it was the cheapest option,” he says. “I’m telling you this because the members of the board, as well as your mother and I, are going to be in Philadelphia near the end of January for the opening. We would love to see you and Madison while we’re there.”

Madison looks at you with a pleading expression on her face. “Please, Auntie Cate? They can meet Toby, and go to the park! And I can bring them to school for show and tell! It would be so fun!”

Dammit. With Madison this excited, you can’t very well tell your parents to fuck off and leave you alone. Oh well. If they stay in a hotel and only come to see the apartment once or twice, then you suppose it won’t be so bad. 

“That...could be fun,” you say. Madison’s face lights up and both your parents look potently relieved. That doesn’t make you feel any better.

* * *

 

When you’ve all finished eating, Mary and Madison leave the table so Mary can give Madison some presents they’ve apparently gotten for her. You tell Madison you’ll come see in a few minutes, and then you and Lawrence are left alone at the table. 

“I’m glad everything is going well for you and Madison,” he says after a few moments of silence. “She seems happy.”

“Well Dad, that’s something you could have found out a long time ago if you’d ever bothered to  _ call  _ us,” you say, an edge to your tone. 

He looks offended, and you take some pleasure in that. “I was under the impression that you want nothing to do with this family.”

You roll your eyes. “Sure, but what about Madison? She loves you guys, and she hasn’t talked to you since I picked her up, back in  _ June.  _ You didn’t even call for her birthday!”

At least he has the decency to look ashamed. “I didn’t think you would let us speak to her.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose. “I would  _ never  _ do that! I’m not like you! I would never keep Madison away from you just because of a grudge I have against you. That’s something  _ you  _ would have done.”

You don’t stick around to see his reaction. Getting up from the table, you walk upstairs to Madison’s bedroom, and lean in the doorway. She’s playing with some horse toys, Mary watching her from the rocking chair. 

“Oh hi, Auntie Cate!” Madison says when she sees you. “Grandma got me a stable with a bunch of pretty horses!”

“She certainly did,” you say, walking into the room and taking a seat on the ground. “Do they have names?”

Madison shakes her head. “Not yet! I gotta think about it. Names are very important.”

“Yes they are,” you agree, smiling. 

You watch Madison play for a few more minutes, and as you notice her getting tired, you figure it’s time to make a retreat. 

“Goodnight, sweetie,” you say, kissing her on the head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

She gives you a hug. “Sweet dreams, Auntie Cate!”

Mary stands up then, and she leads you to your bedroom, just down the hall from Madison’s. 

“I’m glad you’re here with us,” she says. “We...we need to stay together. I don’t want to lose both my children.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’m not going anywhere.”

Mary looks like she’s about to start crying, but she pulls you into a hug instead. It’s a weird experience, being hugged by your mom for the first time in seven years. But you embrace it, and hug her back. Your beef was never with her anyway. 

When she pulls away, you can see tears in her eyes. “Goodnight, Cate.”

The shock of hearing her call you that almost stops you from responding. “Goodnight, Mom.”

She leaves, and you shut the door on her retreating figure, leaving the room in silence.

It’s not that late, only nine, but you feel mentally drained. Collapsing on the bed, you can think of only one thing to do. You call Sans. 

“hey, everything okay?” Just hearing his voice makes you feel better. 

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” you say. “Just wanted to talk.”

So you do. You tell him about your day, from the airport to the drive here, to dinner. He, too, is annoyed when you tell him about Foster moving into some office buildings in Philadelphia. 

“can’t believe you’ll have to put up with that smarmy asshole in your own home. i’m sorry, babe.”

“It’s not your fault. Fate just has it in for me, I guess.”

You talk for a while after that. After a while, you’re starting to yawn, and Sans hears this over the line. 

“you sound tired. i’ll let you go. call me tomorrow night?”

“Yep. Love you, Sans. Say hi to Papyrus and Toby for me.”

“will do. love you too.”

After you hang up, you drag yourself into the bathroom that connects to your room and get ready for bed. 

You’re asleep before your head hits the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing bad's going to happen at Thanksgiving dinner, right?
> 
> Right!


	38. Over the River and Through the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. 
> 
> As many of you are aware, America had its presidential election yesterday. Almost everyone I know (including myself) is shocked and appalled at the results. It's going to be a long process, coming to terms with the fact that Donald Trump is going to be my next president.
> 
> Which is why I churned this whole chapter out today. 
> 
> I can't change the results of the election, but I can do my darndest to create a little more light in this world.
> 
> If you live in the United States, stay safe in the days to come. If you don't, then keep us in your thoughts. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter.

Thanksgiving morning goes relatively smoothly. You wake up a little after 8, shower and get dressed before coming out to see the rest of your family already up. They haven't sat down to breakfast yet, so you don’t feel that bad about being the last one up. Breakfast is a small affair of peach-flavored pastries and sausage (where’s cereal when you need it), and then the family splits off, each going to do your own thing. 

Your mother hustles into the kitchen, where a few maids help her get started on the food for tonight. Madison goes into her room to play with her new toys, and you pull out your phone and text Sans from a chair on the porch that looks out over the expansive and frankly ridiculous backyard. It isn’t even really a backyard. It’s more like restored farmland, like this used to be a plantation or something. The thought unnerves you. 

You’re in the middle of reading a text Sans sent you about Toby when the door to the house opens behind you. Turning around, you see Lawrence step outside, holding an unlit cigar and a lighter. 

“It’s a nice day,” he remarks as he takes a seat on the other chair on the porch. You just nod and type out a quick response to Sans, putting your phone away once it’s sent. Lawrence seems to take your silence in stride. He lights his cigar and takes a drag, looking out over the land. 

“You know, every year before this, from when they were first married, Amelia would help your mother in the kitchen and Colton would sit out here with me, smoking a cigar.” He cranes his neck around to look through the kitchen window. You find yourself looking too, and see Mary working on something for dinner. She’s concentrating pretty hard. 

“Yeah, well,” you say, your throat closing up a little, “I’m not either of them.”

He turns to face you again. “Yes, I know.” He’s silent for a moment. “Losing them has been so hard on us.”

You nod. “Yeah. Me too. He was my big brother, and I didn’t even speak to him for seven whole years. Now he’s gone.”

Lawrence shifts in his seat. You hope you’re making him uncomfortable. Since it’s his fault and all. 

“I want to ask you something,” he says. “And I’d appreciate it if you were as honest as possible.”

You look him right in the eyes. “What?”

He takes a deep breath, like he’s about to dive into the deep end of a swimming pool. “Why did you write that thesis, Catherine? You maligned your own family, and for what?” His gaze is part accusation, part curiosity, and part...regret, you think. Hurt. 

Now it’s your turn to take a deep breath, and think about what you’re going to say. You’ve never had this chance before. Lawrence has never given you a chance to explain why you wrote your thesis about his company. And you don’t want to throw away this shot. 

“I grew up thinking I was better than everyone else,” you begin, “just because my family was rich and we lived in a nice house. My childhood wasn’t perfect, but I was happy. I was also ignorant. And as I got older, I realized just how ignorant I was. Even though I was going to a private school reserved for the richest of the rich, I realized it. 

“Do you remember when you threatened to make me stay home from college?” you ask him. He’s silent. “No, seriously. I want you to answer.”

He opens and closes his mouth a few times. “I-yes. But your mother and I weren’t  _ serious _ -”

“Yes you were,” you interrupt. “You were dead serious. You wanted me to stay home and learn how to cook and entertain houseguests, when I just wanted to study something that  _ mattered. _ And I did. Do you know what I learned in an environmental biology class I took the winter of my junior year?”

He doesn’t answer, and you press on. “I learned that Foster Pharmaceuticals, my  _ family’s  _ company, the company I’d grown up off the profits from, was responsible for the destruction of multiple ecosystems in the United States. Dad, you added names to the Endangered Species list!

“You can’t imagine how I felt when I found that out. No matter what fights we’d had in the past, I  _ trusted  _ you and Mom. I trusted our family, I trusted the company. And then my biology professor showed us pictures of trout and crayfish with missing body parts, too many legs, shrunken fins-”

“Catherine,” he interrupts. “Please, I-”

“You what? You don’t like hearing about what you’ve done? Well too bad! You’ve gone and done it. That was the day I decided to write that thesis. I decided I was going to go against my family and do the right thing. And you know what? I’d do it again. A million times.”

You finish, and your heart is racing. Lawrence has shrunken in on himself, and the sight makes you feel powerful.

“Colton understood,” you say after a minute. Your voice comes out quieter now, calm and more controlled. “At the funeral, I was talking to some members of the board. They told me that he wanted to change things. Make the company better. I just wish he was still here.”

“I do too,” your father says, sitting up a little straighter. “You ought to know that Colton approached me with his ideas. He told me, funnily enough, that he was having a hard time getting the board to listen to them. He told me what he wanted the company to be like when he ran it, and how he’d get there. I listened to him, and I thought his ideas were fantastic. I told him so.”

_ What? _

He continues. “Whatever profit losses we took from spending the money to build safer plants and better innovations for getting rid of our waste would be made up in tax credits for making an effort to be more green. Sure, for a few years money would be a little tighter, but we'd make it back in no time. Colton had a timeline figured out, and a way to keep our workers from getting wage cuts.”

You think back to the funeral. You remember the woman—Becca—mentioning something about your father and the rest of the board getting smaller paychecks. 

Lawrence looks away from you, and out over the land. “If it had happened, I want you to know that we were planning to tell you, Colton and I. But then he died not a month after that conversation, and suddenly no one wanted to talk about it anymore. As CEO, there's not much I can do without the board's enthusiastic support.”

A shiver runs down your spine. That sounds like a story you’ve heard before, only reversed. And the part about telling you, that you were so close to reconnecting with Colton, well, it makes you yearn all over again for that life you never got to have. But you meant what you said. You’d still do it all over again. 

“I wish I could have just talked to him again,” you say quietly, your eyes starting to sting. Preemptively, you wipe at them. You do  _ not  _ want to cry today. 

“He wished the same.”

* * *

 

When dinner is finally ready, the four of you sit at the table in the same places you did the night before. Two at a time, dishes are brought from the kitchen and set all around the table. You see turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, and a million other foods you associate with the holiday.

“Where’s the cranberry sauce?” Madison asks once the table is full of food. 

Your mother smiles. “You’ll have to wait, sweetheart. We’re having that and pie for dessert.”

Madison seems satisfied with that, and after you help her get some food on her plate, she digs in. You pile up the turkey and mashed potatoes for yourself, hesitate, and then add a few green beans. It’s healthier. 

Conversation lapses into silence as you all eat your food. It doesn’t help that neither you nor your father are willing to look each other in the eye after the charged conversation you had on the porch. 

Eventually, the conversation starts back up again, mostly between your mother and Madison. You sometimes add things but mostly you find yourself staring off into space, imagining how this all would have been different if Colton and Amelia were still alive.

“I wish Sans was here,” Madison says. Hearing your boyfriend’s name jerks you out of your stupor and you find yourself hoping, desperately hoping, that she leaves it at that. That she doesn’t…

“You look sad, Auntie Cate, and I bet if Sans were here you’d be happy!”

Shit. 

“Sans?” your mother says. “Isn’t that the skeleton who was with you at the funeral?”

Oh well. Time to bite the bullet. It was going to come out eventually. 

“Yes,” you say, looking between both your parents. Mary looks confused, but Lawrence is gripping his fork very tightly, an indescribable emotion on his face. Like he already knows what you’re going to say. “I’m dating him. Have been for a few months now.”

Madison, of course, doesn’t understand the severity of the situation. “He’s super nice! Except when he and Auntie Cate kiss. That’s kinda gross. And he slept over on Halloween! Except I didn’t get to see him. Auntie Cate said he was too tired.”

Oh, if only the ground could open up and swallow you whole right now. You’re blushing harder than you ever have before, you suspect. You don’t want to meet either of your parents in the eye. It’s like how you felt at the zoo, with Ethan’s parents. Only a million times worse. 

But wait. These are  _ your  _ parents. And they’re going to be in your life now. More than they were before, at any rate. And for the sake of Madison and the sake of yourself, you can’t afford to burn these bridges. 

“Hey, Madison?” you say. “I have to ask Grandma and Grandpa about something super secret. Can you go play in your room for just the next few minutes?”

“Okay!” She hops off her seat and dashes away, leaving you alone with your parents. 

“Listen,” you say before either of them can speak. “I don’t care about whatever prejudices against monsters you have. It does not matter to me. I am dating Sans. He’s my boyfriend, and I love him. I don’t want that to drive us apart.”

Both Lawrence and Mary are speechless, staring at you. You don’t let that slow you down. “Now that you’re back in my life, I don’t want you to leave again. And if you want to, just think about Madison. She was so excited to come here and see you two. But when we’re at home, Sans is probably her favorite person, other than me. She loves him. And if you talk bad about him or about monsters in front of her, then I will be very pissed.”

You stop talking, and the silence that falls over the table is suffocating. 

“Is that okay?” you say. 

“That’s-that’s fine,” Mary says. “We just want to be a family again. And if you  _ do  _ love this Sans, then I suppose he’s part of that. We can accept that.”

“ _ Both  _ of you?” you ask, eyeing Lawrence. He clears his throat nervously under your gaze. 

“Both of us.”

You smile, although it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. “Great. How about I go get Madison and then we can have desert? I’ve got my eye on that pie.”

They have no objections.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you all. Watch out for each other <3


	39. Coming Home*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys :)
> 
> Hope you're all doing okay.
> 
> Sexual content warning for like, the last two thirds of this chapter. It ended up being way longer than I thought it would be.

When the plane touches down at the Philadelphia International Airport, both you and Madison can’t wait to get off of it. It’s only been a few days, but you feel like you’ve been away from home for far too long. 

Thanksgiving at your parents’ house went fine, after you explained to them that you would not tolerate any prejudice towards Sans. Sure, things were a little stiff over the dinner table, but you feel like you finally made your voice heard. You hope that by the time you see them again in January that they’ll have had enough time to let what you’ve said sink in and to accept it. It’ll make things a lot easier. 

The seatbelt signs turn off, and you reach under your seat to pull out you and Madison’s bags. She grabs hers from you (it’s pretty small) and you manage to get off the plane pretty quickly. Once you’re off, you pull out your phone to call Sans. He and Papyrus are both picking you up today. 

“hey, did you land?”

Hearing his voice makes you smile. “Yep! We’re heading to the baggage claim right now. It’ll only be a few minutes.”

“great. see ya soon.” 

You put your phone away and take Madison’s hand as you follow the crowd through the terminal. Just a few minutes of walking later, you pass the security point of no return and the baggage claim comes into view. You start scanning the crowd, looking for Sans and Papyrus. 

Madison spots them first. 

“Sans! Pap!” She drops her suitcase and barrels through the crowd, making a beeline right for them. You catch a brief glimpse of a blue jacket before it’s obscured by your niece, jumping into your boyfriend’s arms. 

Grinning, you pick up her suitcase and stride over to them, just in time for Madison to hop down. 

“We missed you guys,” you say. You lock gazes with Sans, and just seeing his face makes you feel so much better. Potent relief washes over you, like a weight you didn’t know you had was lifted from your shoulders.

“we missed you too,” Sans says quietly, in that voice he only uses when you’re alone together, or when he’s talking about your soul. Like he can’t believe his luck. 

You have a thought. What if the reason you were so irritated at your parents’ house, that you’re so happy right now, is because of being soulmates with Sans?

“I am so glad you are back!” Papyrus says to both of you. “Toby has missed you very much.”

“Well, we better not keep him waiting then,” you say. “How far is it to the car?”

“Not that far!” Papyrus exclaims. “I will carry the suitcases. You must be exhausted!”

You’re about to protest, but you realize that it really isn’t worth it. So Papyrus takes the bags and leads the way, Madison trotting along beside him. You and Sans fall a few steps behind. Almost unconsciously, you find yourself reaching for Sans’ hand. He grabs it, and you squeeze his in response. 

“i’m really glad you’re back,” he says. You smile. 

“Me too.”

You get back to the car and move to sit in the back with Madison, but Papyrus stops you yet again. 

“Cate! You should sit up front with Sans so the two of you can rekindle the flames of love! I will sit back here with Madison.”

You look at Sans, who shrugs. “can’t argue with that logic.”

So that’s what you do. You sit in the passenger seat as Sans drives away from the airport and back to the apartment complex. He tells you as many puns as possible on the way back, and you even laugh at a few of them. The way his face lights up when you do is worth sacrificing a little of your pride. 

When you get back, Sans helps you get Madison’s car seat back into your car as Papyrus gets your bags out of the trunk. Together, the four of you head upstairs to your apartment, stopping at Sans and Papyrus’ on the way to grab Toby. 

The first thing you do when you’re back in the apartment is put the bags in yours and Madison’s rooms. Then you make yourself a cup of coffee. You really need one. 

As it’s brewing, you hear Madison asking Papyrus to play with the news dolls Mary got for her. He agrees, of course, and they go into her room, leaving you and Sans in the living room. 

Once it’s done, you take your cup of coffee and sit down on the couch next to Sans. He scoots over a little closer to you and leans over so his head’s on your shoulders. You sigh in contentment as you take your first sip of coffee. 

“so how was the trip?” Sans asks. “you told me about the first day, obviously. but how did thanksgiving go? you never said anything about it.”

You give a derisive chuckle. “It was...okay. Not a picture-perfect family dinner by any means, but it didn’t end in flames.” You hesitate for a second. “They know, now. That you and I are dating.”

He makes a surprised noise. “you told them? that was brave.”

“Madison did, actually. It kind of slipped out.”

“how did they take it?”

You let out a huff of breath. “Well, I kind of threatened them into taking it well. I basically told them that if they say anything bad about you or any other monsters in front of Madison that I’d be livid.”

“so everything’s cool?”

You nod. “Everything’s cool. Oh, and my dad and I had a kind of emotional conversation before dinner. He asked me about why I wrote my thesis on the company.”

Sans lets out a low whistle. “bet that was fun to talk about.”

You smile sheepishly. “I kind of went off on him. I almost feel bad. He told me after that Colton wanted him to make some changes to the company. And that they were gonna tell me about it. But then he died.”

Sans’ finger is drawing circles on your thigh. “i’m sorry, sweetheart. that musta been tough to hear.”

“Yeah.” You set the coffee cup down on the side table and lean into Sans. He grabs a pillow from the corner of the couch and puts it on his lap, so you can put your head down on it. “I just really wish he was still alive. The conversation I had with my dad just reminded me of how much I lost out on with him. We could have been so much closer. I would have met Madison when she was born, just like I should have. I could have gotten to know Amelia better.”

“none of that is your fault.” Sans is smoothing down your hair as he speaks. It feels really nice. “you did the right thing with the cards you were dealt.”

“I know,” you sigh. The two of you lapse into silence, and you can hear Madison and Papyrus laughing from her room. “Hey Sans, can I ask you a question?”

“of course.”

You clear your throat. “When I saw you again, at the airport, it felt like I had just dropped a twenty pound weight I didn’t know I was carrying. Is that a…?”

“yeah. that’s a soulmate thing,” he says. “i felt that way too. i’m sorry, i shoulda warned ya.”

“Don’t worry about it,” you say. “Just gives us an excuse to spend more time together.”

“heh. yeah.”

You turn your head so you’re looking up at him. “I love you.”

The lights in his eyes are shining. “love you too.”

Your eyes flick over to Madison’s door and then back to him. “Hey, if you’re, uh, not too busy tonight, then maybe you could stop by after I put Madison to bed? She didn’t get to see you after our first sleepover, so I think she should get a chance to this time. What do you think?”

Quick as a wink, Sans is lifting up your head to give you a kiss. 

“that sounds perfect,” he says.

* * *

 

You’ve missed him so much, you think as you dash around your bedroom. You could barely focus on putting Madison to bed; you were too busy making plans for tonight. She didn’t notice, though. She fell asleep pretty quickly. 

So now, before you text Sans and give him the all clear, you’re digging through your wardrobe, trying to find—ah, there it is. 

In triumph, you pull out a lingerie set you bought for yourself over a year ago. You’ve never had an excuse to use it, you just thought it looked nice on you. 

As you strip and slip it on, you find yourself appreciating how well it still fits. It’s a dark, navy blue. The thong part is pretty simple, but the top ties together in the front and drapes down, not unlike the swimsuit you wore to the waterpark back in the summer. You think it looks pretty damn good. 

Then you decide to go the extra mile and put on makeup. This isn’t something you’d usually do, but like with the lingerie, you want tonight to be special. When that’s done, you brush your hair and look yourself over in the mirror. Damn. You look  _ hot.  _

Satisfied, you pull out your phone to text Sans. 

**I’m in my bedroom :)**

You count one, two, three seconds before Sans materializes by the door. When he sees you, you watch as his gaze moves up and down your body, appreciating your curves. 

“wow,” he breathes out. 

“Do you like it?” you ask him. 

He nods. “yeah. i do.” He takes a few steps forward until he’s right in front of you, and then he pulls you into a kiss, his tongue coaxing your lips apart. Unsure what to do with your hands, you tug at the zipper of his jacket, pulling it down until the two halves separate. You reach your arms around his torso and pull him closer, the two of you moving backward until your legs hit the bed. 

You break apart then, and you manage to push his sweatshirt off the rest of the way. He’s wearing a grey shirt underneath, but you can see the bones of his arms, how thick they are compared to a human skeleton’s. Reverently, you touch his humerus, feeling it give just a little under your touch. 

“You’re so soft,” you muse, running your thumb along the bone. 

He chuckles. “me? how about you?” As if to make his point, he reaches under the lingerie and caresses your sides, with just a little pressure. “so warm, so nice, so kind...what did i ever do to deserve you?”

“Sans,” you say in a scolding manner. But he places a finger on your lips, and you stop talking. You feel the direction of his pressure shift and you sit back on the bed, moving to make room for him. 

“can i try something?”

You smile, remembering the last time he said that to you. “Anything you want.”

He gently pushes you back so you’re leaning against the pillows, and then he kisses you again. You bring up your hands to cup his face, but then he pulls away.

“i want you to keep your hands here,” he says quietly, taking them and placing them next to you, touching the place where the sheets and the pillows meet. “can you do that for me?”

You nod, and then he goes back to kissing you. You want to reciprocate in some way, but you keep your promise, balling your hands into fists at your side. 

Sans, however, is  _ not  _ keeping his hands to himself. As he kisses you, they rub up and down your sides, dip up to cup your breasts, skirt along your bare arms. And then he moves, taking his mouth away from yours and sliding down to kiss the nape of your neck. 

“Mm, Sans…” you groan. He doesn’t stay there long; he migrates down over your clavicle and between your breasts, kissing and sucking the soft skin over your stomach. Then, finally, he makes it down to your panties. You lean forward to watch as he uses his teeth to tug the thin cloth all the way down until you can kick it off your legs. Then he uses his hands to gently push your thighs apart until you’re completely exposed to him. Then he bends down. What is he-

“Oh!” You bite your lip to keep from making anymore noise as Sans’ tongue  _ drags  _ over your clit. Your arms tense up and your hands grip the sheets as he looks up at you and smirks.

“you like that? want me to keep going?” 

You just nod, not trusting yourself to speak. He goes down again, and you let out a low whine, thanking God that there’s at least two walls between this room and Madison’s. You feel Sans’ tongue twist...fuck, is it getting  _ longer _ ?

It must be, because that tongue, well, it’s going places tongues have never been before. Your legs start to shake and you try to hold back the tide from crashing onto the sand. 

Sans, sensing this, stops for a moment and looks back up at you. “it’s okay, sweetheart. just let go. i got you.”

And with one more motion from his tongue, you climax. You have to cover your mouth to keep from crying out as Sans grips your thighs, his tongue working you through your orgasm. When you come back down you let your hand fall back to your side and you lie there, propped against the pillows, breathing hard. 

“was that okay?” Sans comes up next to you, and you nod, still a little short of breath.

“Jesus, Sans! How’d you learn how to do that?”

“the internet is a very informative place.”

You let out a short laugh, and pull him in by his shirt collar for a kiss. You can taste yourself on him, and that gives you an idea. As you kiss him, you shift your position so that he’s the one leaning against the pillows, with you above him. 

“Your turn,” you say, sitting back on your legs. He doesn’t make a move to do anything at first, so you lean forward until your mouth is ghosting the side of his skull. 

“I want to take you in my mouth,” you whisper, feeling a blush creep on your skin. You’ve never really done this dirty talk thing before, but you’re really starting to like it. “Do you want me to?”

You feel him nod more than you see it, and as you sit back again, you see a bulge form under his shorts. Smiling gently at him, you pull down his shorts until his cock springs forth. It’s fully erect, and as you take it in your hand, you hear him gasp. You wink at him. “Keep your hands at your sides, okay?”

“y-yeah, okay. holy shit.”

Focusing back on the task at hand, you lick your lips before opening them and sliding the tip into your mouth. 

Almost immediately, his hips jerk up. You were expecting this, and you’re able to compensate for it by opening your throat a little wider. It doesn’t have much of a taste. It’s been a while since you last gave a blowjob, but you remember to bob your head up and down, sucking in your cheeks. 

“ _ uhn.”  _ Your gaze flicks up to watch Sans’ facial expressions, and you are  _ not  _ disappointed. His cheeks are flushed with blue, and you can tell he’s trying just as hard as you were not to be too loud. “ _ cate. _ ”

“Mm?” You hum, and his hips jerk again.

“shit,” he breathes out. “babe, if you keep goin’, i’m gonna-”

You bob once again, taking him just a little deeper in. 

Sans looks like he’s about to fall apart, putty in your hands. You take pity on him and sit back up, an audible ‘pop’ sounding when your lips separate from him. 

“you really know how to work a guy, huh?” he says between breaths. “jeez, cate.”

“Are you okay?” you ask. “You seem kinda-”

“oh, no, that was great,” he says. And you know he means it. “that was. really great. i just wasn’t, uh, used to it? if that makes sense?”

You smile, seeing where he’s going. “So you’d rather finish this the old-fashioned way, then?”

He smiles too, and then you’re scooting forward and hovering right above his crotch. As he looks at you with what must be love in his eyes, you hold on to his shoulder with one hand and use the other to position his cock so you can sink down onto him. 

Oh. Oh wow. That feels...wow. This is so different from your first time with him. The angle is so much better, filling you deeper than you really thought possible.

Sans, meanwhile, is looking up at you with that face again. The one where he looks like he’s just won the lottery. His hands migrate to your hips and squeeze, and you feel his pelvis push up, sending you a little closer to the edge.

“i love you,” he says as he moves a hand so his thumb can circle your clit. You gasp and clutch his shoulders.

“Love you too,” you manage to spit out. It’s hard to concentrate on words right now. Kind of hard to concentrate on anything but the feeling of Sans. Of him pushing into you, of his hand making you feel so good. 

Finally, you let out a gasp, and you come for the second time. You feel yourself tighten, and then Sans comes too. You lift yourself off of him and collapse next to him, knowing that you’ll have to get up and wash off your makeup in a minute. 

“you are incredible,” Sans says to break the silence. 

You roll over onto your stomach and arch your back so you can see him. “God, so are you! That was incredible, what you did.”

He chuckles. “did it for you, babe.”

You smile and kiss him on the cheek before rolling out of bed.

“where are you going?” he asks. 

“Bathroom,” you say, pulling on a robe from your closet. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

* * *

 

He’s the luckiest guy in the entire world, he thinks as he watches your chest rise and fall next to him. You’ve been asleep for at least an hour now, but he’s still awake. Thinking. 

You are just so goddamn perfect. Everything about you, from the way you pretend not to laugh at his puns, to the voice you reserve specifically for Madison, to the noises you made tonight. It’s all fantastic, more than Sans could have ever dreamed of.

You fell asleep with your body turned toward him, and he can see your hair plastered to your face with sweat. Carefully, he pushes some of it out of the way, freezing when he sees your features twist. But then you relax, and so does he. 

Everything he’s gone through was worth it, he thinks. It was worth it if you were the end result. You are smart, strange, wonderful, beautiful, and you love him. You say it and you show it, with your actions and your words. He will never understand what he did to make the Universe think he deserved this. 

But, he thinks as he falls asleep, he’s not gonna complain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's](https://www.foxylingerie.com/products/navy-open-front-babydoll) the lingerie I was basing Cate's off of. In case you guys were curious. 
> 
> I love you all. Take care.


	40. Let the Music Play On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long, you guys! I had the end of my first term at college to finish up, and then Thanksgiving happened, and I got my wisdom teeth out on Monday. It's been a busy few weeks! Luckily, I am home until January! Gotta love college.

“So how’ve you been lately, Cate? I hardly see you anymore.”

“Sorry, Dex,” you smile as you lean over the counter of his desk, back from a walk with Toby. “I’ve just been busy with work and Madison’s school. I got promoted, did you know that?”

He smiles. “Really? That’s great! And everything’s going well with Sans?”

You blush. “You know, I don’t remember ever telling you that we were dating.”

“You didn’t have to,” he says. “Madison did. Also, it’s pretty obvious. The two of you are attached at the hip, and you’re so much happier. He’s good for you.”

“I know,” you say. “I got really lucky.”

“Oh!” Dex says, like he’s suddenly remembered something. “You got a letter earlier, and I hadn’t gotten around to putting it in your mailbox yet. Here.” He hands you an ornate-looking envelope, and you look at who it’s from. Lawrence and Mary Foster.

“Hoo boy,” you mutter under your breath. “Thanks, Dex. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, Cate!”

You head back upstairs, and undo Toby’s leash before taking a closer look at the envelope. It’s very fancy, gilded with an intricate script. It’s almost hard to read who it’s addressed to, but you can read that it’s written out to “Ms. Catherine Foster”. 

Sliding your finger under the flap to open it, you’re greeted with paper even fancier than the envelope. You unfold it and read the words out loud to yourself.

“You and one guest are cordially invited to the celebratory gala for the opening of the new Foster Pharmaceuticals office building. It will be held at the building, located at 2550 3rd Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dinner will be at six o’clock on January 21st , followed by dessert and dancing. Please RSVP by January 6th.” Underneath that is your father’s phone number along with his address.

Well. That sounds like an...adventure. You  _ really  _ don’t want to go, but you feel like you’re going to be strong-armed into it either way. Your parents are already going to want to visit you, it’ll just be awkward if you don’t go to this thing. And apparently you can bring a guest. But who would you bring? No one you can think of would have any fun. Madison’s too little, Ashley hates your parents, and so does Sans. You suppose you could bring Papyrus, but you think it’d be better if you just went by yourself. Maybe you should call your mom, just to see what she thinks. Ever since she called you Cate when you and Madison visited at Thanksgiving, you’ve been trying to figure out exactly where things stand between you and her. You’d like to think that calling you by your chosen name was her way of starting to apologize, for everything she put you through in your childhood.

So, you give her a call and she picks up before the second ring. 

“Hello?”

“Mom? Hi, it’s Cate.”

You can hear her smile in her voice. “Cate! Sweetheart, how are you?”

She said it again. She called you Cate, again! You almost have to sit down out of shock. “I’m, uh, I’m good, Mom. I just got the invitation for the gala thing in the mail, actually.”

“Oh, good! So does that mean that you and Sans are coming?”

You’re not sure whether to be relieved or weirded out that she immediately thinks of Sans. “Um, well, I’m coming for sure. Do I have to bring a guest? Because I would bring Sans, but I don’t know if he’d, uh, want to come.”

There’s a beat of silence before she answers. “Oh. Well, I suppose you don’t  _ have  _ to bring him, but I think I should let you know that Grayson is going to be there. And his parents. And he’s not bringing a date, and there will be dancing, and you and I  _ both  _ know that his parents would  _ insist  _ on him asking you to dance if you were alone, so-”

“Grayson’s going to be there?” You cut her off, your stomach dropping. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Sadly, no,” she says. “I wish he weren’t, but he works for the company. Your father insisted on inviting him. I don’t think your father ever truly realized how  _ bad  _ things are between you and Grayson. I told him it was a bad idea, but he  _ insisted. _ ”

You sigh. “Of course he did. Thanks for the heads-up, Mom. I’ll talk to Sans and let you know what he says, okay?”

“Of course, Cate,” she answers. “I love you. Goodbye.”

“Love you too.”

Once you hang up, it takes almost all your energy not to throw your phone at the wall. Fuck Grayson. Fuck your dad, for inviting him. 

Oh well. Guess you’d better talk to Sans.

* * *

 

“so what is this thing again?”

“It’s a gala,” you explain. “A ball. There’s gonna be food, and dancing, and a lot of socializing.”

“do i  _ have  _ to go? i love you, babe, but i dunno if i wanna spend a saturday night making small talk with a bunch of stuffy old rich people.”

“Neither do I,” you say, leaning your head on his shoulder. You scoot a little closer to him on the couch. “And you don’t have to go, if you don’t want to. I’m not gonna make you. It’s just, well…”

“well what?”

You sigh. “My ex-boyfriend is going to be there. Grayson Dwight. And I’d really like to stay as far away from him as possible.”

“your ex? you never told me much about him.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not something I like to talk about,” you say. “But before you, he was my last real boyfriend. And probably someone I should have already told you about.”

Sans’ hand comes up to massage your scalp. “cate, you don’t have to-”

You interrupt him. “No, I think I do. It’ll be good for me, to talk about this with someone other than Ashley.”

“okay,” he says. You sit up, and he does too, moving so he’s facing you. “talk to me.”

“I met him my freshman year of college,” you say. “He was a sophomore, and we had intro chemistry together. We were lab partners, actually. And I was a little naive back then, wrapped up in the idea of meeting my first and only love in college. He was nice to me, and I thought he was attractive. And that’s all it took.

“I became  _ infatuated  _ with him. Looking back on it, it’s pretty scary. I spent all week looking forward to my two-hour chemistry lab, where I got to sit next to him and talk to him. I thought he was a genius. I probably embarrassed myself in front of him more times than I could count. But then, when we were working on our final project together, he asked me out on a date, and I said yes.

“After that, it was kind of a whirlwhind. We never fought, not even once, probably because I was trying so hard to make everything perfect. He met my parents, I met his parents. My parents were  _ so  _ impressed with him in fact, that by the end of his junior year, they had offered him a permanent position at Foster.”

Sans lets out a low whistle. “they really wanted you to marry him, didn’t they?”

You nod. “Oh, it was obvious. My mom started making comments about how the two of us would make beautiful children, and my dad was always talking about Grayson’s ‘knack for business’. At the time, I was too wrapped up in my idea of romance to realize that Grayson, other than being a pretty face and someone my parents liked, wasn’t really the type of person I would want to spend the rest of my life with.

“I’ve already told you this, but I found out about my dad’s company the winter of my junior year. About all the bad things they did. And less than a week after that, Grayson proposed to me.”

“he  _ what _ ?” Sans exclaims. “how old were you?”

“I was almost twenty-one, and he was twenty-two,” you say. “It’s kind of funny. For our entire relationship, I’d always wanted that to happen. We’d get married right at the end of college and live happily-ever-after. But I found out about the Foster thing, and Grayson was about to start working there. And when I thought about it for more than one second, I realized that I wouldn’t be very happy, being Grayson’s wife. So I said no.”

“how did he take that?”

You swallow. “Badly. At the time, I was glad we were alone and in my dorm room. Because he started yelling. All about how I had just been ‘leading him on’ the whole time we were dating. And I tried to explain to him that getting married so soon was just not what I wanted, and he didn’t really understand that either. The more he yelled, the more I knew I made the right choice.”

“he didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?”

You shake your head. “Luckily, Ashley came by. She was a senior too, at the time. She barged in when she heard the yelling and got Grayson to leave. Then she asked me what happened, and I told her. She talked me down from the panic attack I was about to have and said that if he was so mad that I said no to marrying him, then that was a pretty good sign that I should  _ never  _ marry him. So the next day, I dumped him.”

Sans grabs your hand and squeezes. “that must have been fun to explain to your parents.”

“Ashley helped me with that, too,” you say. “She’s the best friend I could ever ask for. She explained to them how bad of a person Grayson really was. Of course, this didn’t stop my dad from hiring him anyway. But they stopped being mad at me for breaking up with him. Not that it mattered for that long anyway, what with the thesis and everything.”

“yeah,” Sans says. “so he’s definitely going to be there?”

You nod. “Definitely. And I am not looking forward to seeing him again.”

“you won’t have to do it alone,” Sans says. “i’m coming with you.”

“Are you sure?” you ask. “Because you really don’t have to.”

“i’d be the worst boyfriend in the world if i didn’t,” he says, snuggling into you. “besides, it could be fun. making fun of all the stuffy rich people behind their backs, anyway.”

You smile. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

“my hilarious jokes, right?”

You shake your head, laughing, and stand up. Then you pull Sans up, too. “Okay, well, if you’re coming to the gala then you’d better learn how to dance.”

He suddenly looks nervous. “...what do you mean, learn how to dance?”

“I mean ballroom dance,” you say, pushing back on the couch to make more room. “I had lessons growing up because of my parents, and I was on Friedman’s ballroom dance team for a couple years. I can teach you everything you need to know.”

Sans is watching you with a skeptical look on his face. “isn’t ballroom dancing just holding on to each other and swaying back and forth? maybe a turn or two?”

You can’t help it. You laugh. “Oh, Sans. My poor, misguided Sans. Ballroom dancing is so much more than ‘swaying back and forth’. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

“i dunno about this, cate…”

“It’ll be fun!” you say. “Come on, let’s start you off with the waltz. It’s the easiest.”

After a few minutes of explaining the waltz to him, you notice Sans’ concentration starting to fade.

“Sans, come on. You’re one of the smartest people I know. You can waltz. All you have to do is keep counting to three. Like this.” You motion down at your feet and start moving in a waltz basic. “You step forward with your left foot, then to the side with your right, then with your left so you switch your weight. Then back with your right, to the side with your left, and with your right so you switch weight again. Then repeat.”

You count for him as he does a few basics on his own. “One, two, three, one, two, three, yes!”

He stops when you cheer and turns to you, smiling. “did i do it?”

“You’re getting there!” you say. “Now let’s see if you can do it with a person in front of you.”

You show him where to position his hands and then you lock eyes with him. “Just do exactly what you did before, and you’ll be fine. Ready?”

He nods, and you start moving. You count aloud again, and as Sans steps forward, you step backward. He steps to the right and you step to the left. You mirror his basic with yours and before you know it the two of you are waltzing in your apartment.

After a few repetitions of this you stop, and give Sans a kiss on the cheek. “That was amazing! You’re a natural!”

“hey, i had a good teacher!” he says, a blue flush on his cheekbones. “that’s...not all there is, is it?”

“To waltzing? Hell no. We haven’t even gotten into the six-count turn yet!”

“oh.” He looks like he regrets asking.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” you say. “You’re the lead, which means you just have to look handsome while I do all the hard stuff! Mostly, anyway.”

“never knew dancing was so complicated.”

You smile. “You think this is complicated? Just wait until we get to rumba.”

“we’re gonna learn that too?”

“Yep. Waltz, foxtrot, rumba, and tango!”

He groans. “hoo boy.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a ballroom dance team at my college. And I want to join it next year. It sounds like so much fun!


	41. On The Right Track

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Happy Monday! I hope y'all are doing okay this holiday season.

“Hi, Cate! I’m glad you could make it!”

“It was no trouble,” you say, taking a seat where Ms. Sutherland indicates. “I’ve never been to one of these things before, so I don’t really know what to expect.”

Madison brought home a paper handout last week from Ms. Sutherland. It was handed out to all the students, and it asked for the parents (or guardians) of each student to schedule a time with Ms. Sutherland for a parent-teacher conference. Apparently this is something the school district makes mandatory for all students. So you asked Sans and Papyrus if they wouldn’t mind babysitting Madison for a little while, and drove over to the school right after you got off work. 

“Well, this is just a little meeting for us to talk about Madison and how she’s doing in school. I do it for all my students; she’s not in trouble or anything.”

You smile. “Well that’s a relief. So she’s doing okay? I’ve been kinda worried after the first day…”

Her eyes darken at the memory. “I want to apologize again for allowing that to happen. I can’t forgive myself for letting her go through that. She’s such a sweet child.”

You nod. “It wasn’t your fault,” you say. “But anyway. She’s doing better?”

“ _ Much  _ better. She always has something to say, and she works very hard. She’s especially good at math.”

You smile and look down at your lap. You and Sans have both been helping her with her math skills, from time to time. The three of you make a game of it, sometimes. “Yeah, she’s a smart cookie. Pretty soon I won’t be able to keep up with her.”

She laughs. “That just might be true! She’s also very kind, and I always see her inviting other kids to play with her. She’s made quite a lot of friends in the class.”

“That’s really great to hear!” you say. “She’s had some of them over. And I noticed they call her Madi?”

She nods. “Yes, Madison picked that nickname up for herself. I overheard her saying that since you have a nickname, she wanted one too. So now the other kids call her that. She still wants me to call her Madison, funnily enough.”

“Yeah, I still call her Madison, too,” you say. “So there aren’t any problems, or anything? Everything’s okay?”

“Everything is great,” she says. “Madison is a wonderful girl, and I’m lucky to have her in my class.”

“Well, she’s lucky to have you.” And you mean that.

* * *

 

“okay kid, your turn.”

Madison bites her lip, like she’s thinking hard. You do that too, Sans thinks. “Um, okay. Pap, do you have any fives?”

Papyrus shakes his head. “I do not! You must go fishing instead!”

Grumbling to herself, Madison reaches down into the mess of cards spread across the table and grabs one. Her face lights up. “I got one! Do I get to go again now?”

Sans nods. “you sure do!” 

“Sans, do you have a ten?”

He cracks a smile. “tell ya what, kiddo. just for you, i’ll throw in all three.” He slides them over to her, and she squeals with delight as she fishes (heh) the fourth one from her hand and lays all four out in a row in front of her. 

“I have two matches now!” she crows. “Am I gonna win?”

“maybe!” Sans says. “you’ll just have to keep playing and see!”

She ends up winning that game. A part of Sans is a little irritated, seeing as it was her first time playing, and all. But a bigger part of him is proud of her for doing a good job.

“do you wanna play again, or maybe a different game?” he asks.

Madison’s eyes light up. “Can we play hide-and-seek?”

Sans nods. “of course. you wanna be the seeker?”

She shakes her head. “No,  _ you  _ have to be the seeker! And don’t fall asleep like when we played with Auntie Cate! Then Pap and I will be hiding  _ forever _ !”

He smiles, remembering that time. He’d stretched out on the couch, promising himself he’d only close his eyes for a minute. He woke up an hour later to you and Madison tickling him awake. That was a good time. “alright, i promise i won’t fall asleep.” He turns around so he’s facing the wall. “now go hide. one, two, three…” 

When he starts counting, he hears both Papyrus and Madison bolt away to their hiding spots. He counts all the way to twenty before saying “ready or not, here i come” and turning around. Hmm. Can’t see anyone from here. He knows he heard a door open, so he checks the bathroom first, drawing back the shower curtain. Nothing. He pokes his head underneath the couch. Nothing. This might take a while. 

Eventually, he finds Papyrus in Madison’s closet. Papyrus praises Sans for finding him so quickly, and then they both set out to find Madison. They check everywhere, under the cabinets, in your bedroom, in the bathroom again, just to be sure. 

“she didn’t go out into the hallway, did she?” Sans says aloud, before catching a flicker of movement out on the balcony. Oh.

Sliding the door open, he finds her, huddling in the corner. 

“You f-found me!” she cries, obviously shivering.

Sans feels a twinge of guilt. “aw madison, come on inside. it’s cold out here.”

“Did I win?” she asks as Sans has her sit down at the table.

“yeah, you did,” he says as he hunts through your pantry for some hot chocolate mix. He finds a packet, and pulls down a mug from the cabinets. “but next time, how about we keep the hiding places indoors? it’s pretty cold to be playing outside.”

“Okay,” she says. Sans pours the mix into the mug, stirs in some milk, and then microwaves it. When it’s finished, he takes it out and presents it to Madison. 

“here, drink this,” he says. “wouldn’t want cate to get on my case about you catchin’ a cold or something.”

“Who’s catching a cold?”

Sans turns to the door and sees you standing there, one eyebrow cocked. He didn’t even hear the door open.

Madison sets down her mug. “We played hide-and-seek and I hid on the balcony. I won! And now I have hot chocolate!”

“Oh yeah?” You set down your purse and look at Sans. He catches the amused look in your eyes. “Well that’s awfully nice of him.”

Sans shrugs. “so, uh, how was your meeting?”

You beam and Sans’ soul flutters. “It was great! Ms. Sutherland is super proud of you, Madison!”

“I know,” she says, smiling. 

“So what do you say we go out to dinner? All four of us?” Your eyes flit between Sans and Papyrus.

“That sounds wonderful, Cate!” Papyrus exclaims. “Where should we go?”

“I was thinking Grillby’s,” you say. “Madison’s ever been there, and it’s been a while since I was there, too.”

“well i’m game.”

“Then let’s go!”

* * *

 

_ People really need to learn how to drive _ , you think as you finally park the car. The first big snowfall of the year happened yesterday, and since then, you keep getting stuck in massive traffic jams. You guess it must be tourists, or people who are new in town. That, or most of the locals forget how to drive in snow over the summer.

Either way, by the time you get inside Grillby’s, you’re starving. 

“Hey, Grillby!” You wave to him after you’re all inside and he waves back, gesturing to a booth of to the side. You nod and lead everyone to it, sliding into one side of the booth. Unsurprisingly, Sans slides in next to you, and Madison and Papyrus share the other side. 

“Is that guy made of  _ fire _ ?” Madison stage-whispers, eyes wide. 

“yeah, that’s grillbz,” Sans says. “been a pal of mine for years. do you like burgers, madison?”

She nods. “A lot!”

“well, grillbz makes the best burgers around.”

You smile and nod, remembering the first time you had one. That was months ago, now. Weird to think that time has gone by so fast. That first night at Grillby’s was before Colton died, before you knew about Madison. That’s so strange to think about now, that there was a time in your life where, as far as you knew, Madison didn’t exist. 

“...Nice to see you again, Cate,” Grillby says in that deep voice of his when he comes over to the table. 

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I was last here, huh?” You gesture across the table to Madison. “Grillby, this is my niece, Madison.”

She grins up at him. “Hi! You’re super cool!”

Grillby makes a crackling noise you interpret as a chuckle. “...I am actually quite warm, but thank you.”

“eyyy,” Sans says, giving him a high five. You shake your head at both of them. 

“You’re poisoning the minds of America’s youth, you two.”

“That’s right!” Papyrus agrees. 

You each order a burger after that, and a big plate of fries to share. When Grillby brings them all out a few minutes later, you help Madison put some ketchup on it and sit back as she takes her first bite. When her eyes go wide, you break out into a smile.

“This is  _ awesome _ !” she cries. You just nod before taking the first bite of yours. Yep, just as good as that first time. 

You all eat in silence for a few minutes until you remember something you’ve been meaning to ask about. 

“So, guys,” you say, setting down your burger and looking between Sans and Papyrus, “Madison and I are going to the Nutcracker this weekend and we were wondering if you’d like to come with? It’ll be really fun.”

“Please?” Madison adds, giving them that face she uses whenever she really,  _ really  _ wants something. You’ve gotten used to it, but you can see it working against Sans and Papyrus. 

“Why of COURSE we will come with you!” Papyrus exclaims. “This Nutcracker sounds delightful!”

“yeah, we’ll be there for sure!” Sans adds.

Madison smiles. “Yay!” Inside, you feel the same way. You haven’t been to the Nutcracker for years, but Madison saw a commercial on TV and has been begging you nonstop about it. SO you bought tickets for the two of you...and two for Sans and Papyrus, just in case they wanted to come. 

“So meet at our place at five on Saturday?” you ask. “We can grab dinner and get there in plenty of time to find our seats.”

“sounds perfect,” Sans says. You think so, too.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw Moana last night and I'm still screaming about how good it was.
> 
> Take care, you guys.


	42. Celestas Are Really Only Good For One Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. It's been a spell. 
> 
> I wanted to have this sooner, but the holidays happened and then I had to move back to college! I'm posting this from my dorm room.
> 
> Love u guys

“Auntie Cate! Look! I’m a ballerina!”

You look up from the book you’re reading to see Madison standing up on the tips of her feet and spinning around in a circle, her arms stretched above her in fifth position. Well, sort of. But you applaud her efforts anyway. 

“Very nice!” you say. “You could be in the Nutcracker!”

She giggles. “Can I be the Sugar Plum Fairy?”

You set the book down and sit up straight. “You can be anything you want, if you work hard enough!”

She reaches out her hands to pull you off the couch and you let her. Then you both start pretending to be ballerinas, and you hum music from the Nutcracker as she twirls and jumps around the room. Maybe you should sign her up for ballet lessons. She might really like them. 

“You’re excited for tonight, huh?” you ask.

She stops dancing and turns to face you. “Yeah! I’m happy that Sans and Pap are coming too!”

“What, I’m not enough fun for you?” You’re teasing, but it seems to go over her head.

“You’re fun!” she cries. “But Sans and Pap are fun too! And they’re really nice even when Sans kisses you and it’s gross.”

You smile at the mention of Sans kissing you. “Just look away if you don’t like it!”

She sticks her tongue out at you and goes back to twirling. Keeping an eye on her to make sure she’s safe, you go into the pantry and pull out Toby’s food. He gets to eat early tonight, since you’re going to the Nutcracker. When you stand back up with a scoop of food, he lets out a quiet “boof” and starts jumping up against your leg, trying to get to the food. 

“Hold on, buddy,” you say, before pouring the scoop in his bowl. “There you go. Eat up.”

He does. Oh, he does. For a little dog, he sure eats fast. Less than a minute goes by before he’s licking the crumbs out of the bottom of his bowls. 

“That’s a good boy,” you say as you fill up his water dish. “Hey Madison, could you get your coat on? I want to take him outside before we go. Otherwise he might pee and  _ that  _ would be messy.”

You hear her laugh as you hunt around the living room for your own coat. Taking him out to do his business takes hardly any time at all, and you’re back in your apartment in no time at all. Which is good, because Sans and Papyrus show up five minutes later. 

“Hey guys!” you say as you let them in. “You excited?”

“never seen a ballet before,” Sans says. “so i’m not really sure what to expect.”

Madison pops up next to you. “There’s a lot of dancing! And music! And it’s really pretty.”

You nod in agreement as you shut the door. “As far as ballets go, it’s not super intricate story-wise, but it’s a lot of fun. Pretty, like Madison said.”

“Well I, for one, am very excited!” Papyrus says. You look over to where his voice is coming from to find that he’s on the couch petting Toby. Of course. You still don’t understand how Toby was able to warm up to Sans and Papyrus as fast as he did. Probably something to do with the fact they’re made of bones. 

“Mettaton performed the Nutcracker in one of his movies!” Papyrus continues. “I wonder if this version is anything like that?”

Oh God, you hope not.

* * *

 

After a quick dinner at Grillby’s, the four of you get back in your car and head into downtown until you get to the performing arts center. You’re glad you grabbed your tickets ahead of time, because the line for the box office is  _ massive.  _ Instead, you all get to waltz right past the line to the much shorter (non-existent, actually) line for the will-call booth. 

“Hey there, welcome to the Nutcracker!” the man working there says to you. “Can I have the name on the reservation, please?”

“Cate Foster,” you say. He fumbles around in some files before he pulls out an envelope. “Four tickets?” When you nod, he smiles. “Perfect. Enjoy the show!”

“Thank you!” you say, taking the tickets and checking them to make sure there’s actually four. “Okay, so we’re in the back of the orchestra section. Which means we need to go in through gate F.”

Madison looks up at you. “Can I go to the bathroom?”

“Sure,” you say. “I kind of have to go too. Let’s start heading towards our seats and see if there’s a bathroom over there, okay?” 

She nods, and you start walking that way, Sans and Papyrus following. On the way there you pass lines of people in front of little scenes from the ballet. Looks like you can get pictures taken there. The lines are too long right now, but you file this away as something to do during intermission. 

There turns out to be a bathroom right next to gate F, sp you and Madison make a quick pit stop before the four of you get your tickets scanned and are handed programs. Madison also gets a booster cushion so she can see better. 

Once you sit down, you realize that you have made a very good choice for your seats. You’re sitting in the middle of your row, which has a perfect view of the stage. You’ll be able to see  _ everything.  _

“Are you guys ready for this?” you ask. 

Madison is bouncing in her seat. “Yeah! I wanna see the Sugar Plum Fairy! I bet her dress is really pretty.”

Sans looks up from his program. “i like classical music. haven’t heard too much from tchaikovsky though.”

“I  _ love  _ the music,” you say. “I always associate it with Christmas. Which, given what the ballet’s about, kind of makes sense.”

“so what exactly  _ is  _ a ballet?” Sans asks. “is it like a musical? singing and dancing?”

“Dancing, yes,” you say. “Lots and lots of dancing. But singing, no. There’s no dialogue at all, actually. You just kind of have to watch the dancers to figure out the story. Also you can read it in the program.”

“oh. okay.” Sans flips through the program and starts reading again. He doesn’t get very far before the lights dim and a voice comes on over the speakers, telling everyone to shut off their phones and not to take pictures. You do so, and then the lights dim even further as the orchestra tunes. 

“It’s starting!” Madison says in barely contained glee. You grin and sit back in your chair as the music starts, and Clara and her brother dance out their excitement for Christmas.

* * *

 

The best part of the first act is, by far, the dance of the snowflakes. The costumes are  _ gorgeous _ , and you love the music. You get chills more than a few times. 

When the curtain comes down to signify that it’s time for intermission, you applaud along with everyone else. Them you stand up, remembering the scenes out in the hallway that you wanted to get a picture of Madison with. 

“What do you guys think so far?” you ask as you file out of the theater and into the hallway. 

“It is very different from Mettaton’s Nutcracker,” Papyrus says. “But I like it all the same!”

“the dancing’s pretty neat. looks hard.”

You nod. “I took ballet for a while when I was younger. I could  _ maybe  _ pull off the snowflake dance. And there are way harder dances in the second act. Faster, too.”

Sans seems to mull this over for a second. “how do these people get so good?”

“Years and years of practice,” you say. “For several hours a day. Ballet is their  _ life. _ ”

You get to the scenes in the hallway and tell Madison to stand on the one that looks like the snowflake forest. She does so, and you snap a few pictures with your phone. You’re about to tell her to come back, but Sans takes the phone from you and motions toward the stage. 

“go on. i’ll take a picture of both of you.”

You end up kneeling down so you and Madison are about the same height. Sans gets a few pictures and then you leave the platform. 

“Now you and Pap go take some!” Madison says. 

You’re not sure how Sans manages to have his eyes closed in every single picture you take, but he does it. Truly incredible. 

After you’re done with the pictures and you and Madison use the bathroom again, the lights in the lobby flash a couple of times. Time to get back to your seats. You grab Sans and Papyrus and the four of you make your way back just in time for the curtain to rise for the second act.

* * *

 

“so what’s happening now?” Sans whispers in your ear.

“All the people the Sugar Plum fairy just called out on stage are gonna perform for Clara and the Prince.”

“why?”

“I don’t know! Just watch.”

Your eyes drink in the spectacle of color in front of you as the Spanish, Arabian, and Chinese dances are performed. Then, when several people clad in candy cane stripes come on stage, you nudge Sans with your elbow. 

“This is one of my favorites,” you say. 

The music starts, and you find yourself bouncing in your seat as the fast-paced Russian music pours from the orchestra. You can hear Sans chuckling next to you, but you just ignore him. You love this part. 

All too fast, it’s over, and the candy canes make their way offstage to be replaced by another group. 

When the Sugar Plum Fairy and her chevalier make their entrance, you hear Madison let out an audible gasp. You can hardly stop yourself from doing the same. Her costume is a  _ beautiful  _ deep purple ensemble, and her dance with her chevalier is flawless. When they finish, the audience claps and whistles as she bids Clara and the Prince goodbye as they are whisked away by a reindeer-driven sleigh. The curtain comes down, and you stand up to clap through the curtain call. 

When the lights come back on, you see the smile lighting up Madison’s face and you  _ know  _ this was a good idea. Looking at Sans and Papyrus, they seem pretty happy, too. Sans still looks a little skeptical about the story, though. Oh well. Maybe you’ll take him to see Swan Lake, or Sleeping Beauty.

Either way, it’s something to look forward to. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw The Nutcracker for the first time in more than ten years last week, which is part of the reason this took so long :(
> 
> Keep it real, you guys.


	43. Naughty or Nice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short one this time, guys. Sorry about that. 
> 
> But! Last week I wrote a Final Fantasy XV oneshot! You can check that out [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9293351) if you think you'd like it!
> 
> Here's today's chapter!

“What do you think of this one, Papyrus?”

He looks at the shirt you’re holding up. “It’s terrible. He’ll love it.”

Grinning to yourself, you throw the shirt (a black one that displays a human rib cage with a bow tie right under the collar) into the shopping cart in front of you. 

Friedman’s finals were last week, and now you’re off until the new year. It’s less than a week to Christmas, and you don’t really have any presents yet. So you and Papyrus are taking the day to go shopping. 

“Oh, and let me know if you see anything  _ you  _ like,” you say. “I need present ideas for you, too.”

You spend some more time in Target’s clothing department looking for clothes for Madison before finding a hat that’s knitted to look like a polar bear and matching mittens. They’re adorable and she’ll love them. 

“I wonder when Santa goes shopping!” Papyrus says as you head toward the toy aisle. “He has a lot of people to buy presents for. How does he gets it all done? Does he use magic?”

“I dunno, Paps,” you say as you pass a mermaid costume. Madison’s been watching The Little Mermaid a lot lately. She would  _ love  _ this. But what Papyrus just said reminded you that you need to get her things not only from yourself, but Santa as well. And since Papyrus is here with you, you can’t really buy her things that are going to be from Santa. He’d be crushed if he found out Santa wasn’t real. And you would feel so bad if it were your fault. So you pass by, making a mental note to come back another day and get it. 

“What do YOU want for Christmas, Cate?” Papyrus asks. “N-Not that I’m going to buy you something right now! But! I will go shopping another time and then I may purchase gifts for you!”

You think for a minute. That’s a hard question. Christmas is usually pretty subdued for you. You always get together to exchange gifts with Ashley, but that’s pretty much it. And the two of you generally get each other small things. 

Papyrus is still waiting for an answer, so you do the best you can. “Hmm. I need some new books to read. And I  _ always  _ need more socks. Oh, and I really like Snickers. Other than that? I don’t really know.”

“Do not worry!” he says. “I, the Great Papyrus, will find the perfect gift for you! Just ask Frisk; my gift-giving skills are unparallelled!” 

You smile. “I’ll make sure to do that.”

Pretty soon after that, the two of you leave Target and start moving through the rest of the mall. There are a lot of people around, humans and monsters. You remember how surprised you were when you learned that monsters celebrate Christmas just like humans do. Well, mostly, anyway.

At one point, you walk past a Department 56 Christmas village display. You stop for a moment, looking at the miniature houses and people. Growing up, your mother always put out a Christmas village as part of her decorations. It was your favorite Christmas decoration. You used to stand in front of it for hours, making up stories for the little people. 

“That looks a lot like Snowdin!” Papyrus says. “Except there’s people, instead of monsters.”

“That’s where you and Sans lived, right?” you ask him. Sans never talks about his time in the Underground very much. He’s mentioned Snowdin offhand a few times, but he generally avoids the subject. Any thoughts of the Underground are tainted for him now, you guess. Ever since the resets. 

“Yes! Sans and I lived in a nice house there! And we both worked as sentries in the forest, looking out for humans!”

You nod, remembering what Sans told you about the barrier and what it would take to break it. Of course, you doubt that Papyrus ever knew what would happen to a human that he captured. “Did you ever see any?”

He shakes his head. “Not until Frisk! So instead, I spent a lot of time training to join the Royal Guard with Undyne! If Frisk hadn’t come along, I’d probably be a full member by now! Although,” he says, looking at you,” then Sans and I would not have met you! And that would be very sad.”

“I agree,” you say. “I’m really glad I met you two.”

“I KNOW Sans is glad he met you. Wink.” You blush a little. “This is the happiest I have seen him in a long time. Since before we left the Underground, even!”

“Yeah?” you say. “What was Sans like, back then?”

“He still made a lot of awful jokes,” Papyrus says. “And he was quite the lazybones. Even though he worked three jobs, he still found time to take a lot of breaks!”

You cock an eyebrow. “Three jobs? Really?”

“Yes!” Papyrus exclaims. “In Snowdin, Waterfall, AND Hotland! Seeing how he was always taking breaks, I asked him once if I could work instead of him, since he is so lazy. But he said no. I don’t understand why.”

You think you do. Sans never wanted Papyrus to overwork himself. Plus, if he was working three jobs, they must have been in some sort of financial trouble. He must not have wanted Papyrus to worry. So instead, he did all the worrying himself. That’s something he tends to do, you think. Bottle up his emotions so no one else has to worry.

You move on from the snow village after that, and keep walking through the mall. You listen as Papyrus tells you more stories about Sans in the Underground, including one about a telescope he was apparently very fond of.

You love hearing these stories about him, but you hate how they remind you of how much pain he had to suffer through.

* * *

 

You asked Sans to get Madison from the bus stop for you in case you and Papyrus ran a little late, so he’s in your apartment with her when you get back, carrying shopping bags full of gifts. 

“No looking or I take them back,” you warn Madison as you put them in your bedroom closet. “You too, Sans.”

He winks at you. “papyrus is downstairs?”

You nod. “He wanted to hide the presents he bought today, too.”

Madison’s eyes go wide. “Did he buy any for  _ me _ ?” she asks. 

“I guess you’ll just have to find out,” you tease. “What do you say we watch a movie?”

Madison picks Frozen, and the three of you settle in. While Madison’s engrossed in the movie (and singing along), you cuddle up to Sans and smile as he wraps an arm around you to draw you in closer. 

“so shopping was fun?”

You look up at him. “Yeah, it was great. I got stuff for everyone. Except Papyrus, of course. I’m not that sneaky.”

He chuckles, a sound that vibrates pleasantly underneath you. “speaking of sneaky, it’d be  _ pretty  _ easy for me to sneak a peek at the presents. i could just pop right into your room while you were sleeping. in and out in ten seconds. you’d never know i was there.”

“You wouldn’t  _ dare _ ,” you warn him. 

He just grins. “no, i wouldn’t. i’d hate to have you mad at me.” You know he’s just joking around, but something hidden in his expression tells you just how awful he finds that idea.

You just snuggle in closer. Your mind goes back to the conversation you had with Papyrus at the mall, and how Sans was working and worrying so hard. You can only imagine how bad it got for him when the resets started happening. No one deserves to go through that.

“hey, what’s up?” he asks after a minute, voice low enough so only you can hear. “you’re kinda quiet.”

“I’m just thinking,” you say back. 

“what about?”

You don’t want to let him know you were worried about him. At least not right now, when he seems so happy. “About how much of a dweeb you are.”

“oh yeah? well you’re a bigger dweeb than i am.”

You grin and sit up a little bit, so you’re at eye level with him. You turn so your foreheads are touching.

“I think you’re the dweebiest.”

Sans doesn’t answer you; he just leans in for a soft, slow kiss. Your eyes flutter shut, and you savor the closeness. When he pulls back, he looks you up and down. “you sure you’re okay?”

You nod, nestling yourself between his torso and his arm. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just love you a lot.”

“love you too.”

The two of you go back to watching the movie, just in time to see the giant snowman throw Anna and Kristoff off the cliff. You feel his breath tickle at your ear.

“still gonna sneak into the closet and look at my presents.”

“Don’t you dare.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been back at college for two weeks already and it kind of feels like I never left. Weird. 
> 
> See you guys next time!


	44. 'Tis The Season

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS LOOK WHO'S NOT DEAD IT'S ME
> 
> I am so, so sorry for the wait on this one, y'all. I was in a play this term and it kind of ate up all my time. That and I decided to reread Homestuck. Those of you who have me on your Author Alert thing probably noticed that I posted a Homestuck fic about three weeks ago...when I should have been writing this. 
> 
> But hey! I'm back now, and all is well!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

It’s times like these when you wish you had more Christmas decorations. That’s one of the things you miss about celebrating with your parents. Your mom always spent the first few days of December decorating the entire house, top to bottom. She had boxes and boxes of decorations, enough to fill a storage shed. 

You have one box. Maybe. 

It’s not that you don’t like Christmas decorations. You love them. It’s just that, well, they’re kind of expensive. And you never had much of a reason to go all out and decorate your apartment. At least, not until now. 

So as you place the last couple ornaments on your fake tree, you can’t help but wish there was more to put up. At least for Madison’s sake. Oh well. Something to invest in for the future, you suppose.

“Are they gonna be here soon?” Madison asks, her head poking over the back of the couch. She’s watching Frozen, in the spirit of the holidays. “I haven’t seen Ashley in forever.” Her ‘forever’ drags on for approximately that long. 

“They’ll be here pretty soon,” you say as you go into the kitchen and check on the ham in the oven. “Sans and Pap especially. They just have to walk up a couple flights of stairs.”

“Can I go get them?” Madison asks, scrambling off the couch. “Please?”

“Uh, why don’t you call them instead?” You pull your phone out of your pocket and pull Sans’ number up. After hitting the call button, you hand the phone to Madison. 

“Hi Sans!” she says after a minute. “Are you guys gonna come over soon? Can we play Hide and Seek again?”

You don’t hear his response, but you can guess what it is from the look on her face. “Yay! Okay, see you soon!”

She hangs up and hands the phone back to you. “They’re gonna be here any minute!”

“Good!” you smile back at her. “Is your room all cleaned up for Papyrus?”

She nods vigorously. A couple days ago, you suggested that Sans and Papyrus stay the night tonight, instead of going back to their apartment and coming back tomorrow. Madison was ecstatic; she loves when Sans stays over and having Papyrus stay over too is almost too much for her. 

“I can’t wait to give them their presents!” she cries, looking over under the tree to where a modest pile of gifts is sitting. Just the other day, you and Madison went shopping so she could give something to Sans and Papyrus that’s just from her. You love her choices and you know the boys will, too. 

Just a few minutes later, you hear a knock at the door. Madison scrambles up and runs to it, Toby trotting along behind her. She throws open the door and latches onto Sans’ legs as he crosses the threshold into your apartment. Aww. 

“Glad you guys could make it,” you tease from your position in the kitchen. “Any longer and we woulda started without you.”

“Nu-uh!” Madison cries immediately. “We would wait! We gotta wait for Ashley, too!”

“Did I hear my name?”

You smile as Ashley comes into view behind Papyrus. Walking out from behind the counter, you head over to her and give her a big hug. You hardly get to see her anymore, it feels like. 

“aww, don’t i get a hug?”

You let go of Ashley and roll your eyes at your boyfriend. “Only if you’re good.”

As you all leave the hallway and head into the apartment, you feel something squeeze between your legs. Looking down, you see it’s Toby. He must have heard Ashley, because now he’s jumping up on her leg and barking. Hoo boy.

“Toby!” Ashley cries, leaning down and scooping him up in her arms. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in  _ forever _ !”

“He missed you too,” you say. Toby stops barking after Ashley snuggles him a little, and he burrows into her arms. You’re more than a little jealous. 

Ashley walks over to the couch with him, and Madison follows suit. “Hey Auntie Cate, can we watch a movie?”

“Sure,” you say, picking up the TV remote. “What do you want to watch?”

“Rudolph!” she cries.

You smile as you navigate your downloaded videos from Amazon. “Sure thing, kiddo.”

You get it set up and smile as Madison, Ashley, and Papyrus all shove together on the couch. It’s too small to fit anyone else, which leaves you and Sans to watch from the kitchen table. Not that you mind, of course. 

“hey, can i cash in on that hug now?” Sans asks. You nod and oblige him, pulling him into you and tucking your head into his neck. 

“Is that better, you big baby?” you tease after you let go. Sans nods, and you get up from your seat. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“make me a bloody mary?”

You like your lips at the thought. “Ooh, yes. I think I’ll have one too. Ashley?”

“Yes please!” she calls over her shoulder.”

“Papyrus? Madison? You guys want anything?”

“Apple juice!” Madison cries at the same time Papyrus yells “Tea!”

You get to work on those first, since you just have to pour apple juice, and tea just needs hot water. The bloody Marys will take a little longer.

“Any sugar or milk, Pap?” you ask when the tea kettle whistles. 

“Two sugars, please!” 

You deliver the tea and the apple juice, and then you turn back to the fridge to break out everything you need to make some killer bloody Marys. 

Fifteen minutes later, you place drinks in front of Ashley and Sans, and grab the last one for yourself. 

“I went a little light on the vodka,” you say as you take a sip. Mm. Tomatoey. “Since you have to drive later, Ashley.”

She shrugs. “One drink at four-thirty in the afternoon isn’t gonna put me out of commission for the rest of the night, Cate.”

“Oh, I know,” you say. “I’d just rather be safe than sorry.”

Ashley is only staying a little past dinner, since she’s going to celebrate Christmas Day with her family outside of the city. You wish she could stay, since you haven’t seen her that much lately. But sadly, she can’t. 

Rudolph finishes just as the timer for the ham goes off. You pull it out and check the temperature, making sure it’s hot enough. It is. Congratulations, Cate. You successfully made a ham. 

A few minutes later, everyone is settled at the table and watching with bated breath as you slice into the ham. You think Madison might be drooling. You cut enough slices for everybody and dish out the broccoli you made in the microwave, and then all conversation ceases as everyone eats. Toby sits beneath the table, waiting for any chunks to fall, but he’s out of luck. You’re all too busy eating it for yourselves. 

“This is really good!” Madison says once she’s finished her piece. “Can I have another one?” 

That prompts everyone else to ask for seconds as well, and you beam as you fill everyone’s plate with more of your cooking. 

Once dinner’s finished, Madison gets you to put on Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and everyone sits on the couch or on the ground around the tree. 

“Ashley, you  _ have  _ to open your present before you leave,” you say to her. “I want to make sure you like it.”

She rolls her eyes at you. “Of  _ course  _ I’ll like it. Ooh, and I want you guys to open your gifts before I go, too.”

She reaches into her purse and pulls out several small packages, handing one each to you, Madison, and Papyrus.

“That one’s for you and Sans,” she tells him. 

You pull Ashley’s present from you and Madison out from under the tree, and watch as Sans says he’ll be right back and pops out of view, reappearing with a present tucked under his arm. 

“almost forgot your gift,” he says. 

Ashley smiles. “Aw Sans, you didn’t have to get me anything!”

He looks pointedly at the gift in Papyrus’ hand.

“Oh, whatever,” she says. 

“Can I open my present?” Madison asks. She’s looking at it intently, like she’s trying to use x-ray vision to see through it.

“Go ahead, kiddo,” Ashley says. “I hope you like it!”

Madison tears at the packaging to reveal a small, heart-shaped stone. It’s white, with speckles of black. Looks like marble.

“It’s so pretty!” she says, taking it out of the box. “Auntie Cate, look!”

“I see it!” you say, taking it from her. It’s very smooth, the surface reflecting the tree lights behind you. 

“It looks like a monster soul!” Papyrus exclaims. You hold it up so it catches one of the blue tree lights, and look at Sans.

“Yeah, it does,” you say. 

You hand it back to Madison. “Why don’t you open your and Sans’ present, Papyrus?”

He grins and tears at the wrapping paper, finding a plant inside. It looks like a cactus. 

“It’s a succulent!” Ashley says. “It doesn’t need too much water and it should be pretty easy to take care of.”

“I love it!” Papyrus exclaims. “I am going to be the best plant father this plant has ever had!”

Sans is smiling in that special way you know is genuine. Watching him, you can’t help but smile as well. 

“Your turn, Cate!” Ashley says. 

You turn to the package in your lap. You open it up, and inside you find a bracelet, inlaid with what looks like amethyst. Your birthstone. 

“Oh Ashley, this is beautiful!” you say. She just smiles at you. 

“There’s something else.”

Lifting up the bracelet, you find a pair of earrings underneath. Looking at them, you see they’re also inlaid with amethysts, but in the shape of your zodiac sign, Pisces. 

“I love them,” you say, reaching over to give her a hug. 

“You had like,  _ nothing  _ with your birthstone,” Ashley says. “So you’re welcome.”

You push the present from you and Madison to her then, and Sans sets his present down in front of her as well. 

“You guys are spoiling me,” she says as she picks up the present from Sans and Papyrus. 

“Open it!” Papyrus cries. Ashley smiles and does so, tearing off the wrapping paper. She holds up a snowglobe and gives it a shake. 

“This is really cool, you guys!” she says. “Thanks!”

“welcome,” Sans says. Then Ashley turns to your present.

“I hope you like it,” you say. 

“I helped pick it out!” Madison adds. 

Ashley pulls your present out of the bag. It’s actually two presents; there’s a stuffed dog that looks remarkably like Toby, and a necklace adorned with an A.

“You guys, this is awesome!” she says, setting the stuffed dog on the ground and pulling both of you in for a hug. “I love them.”

“toby loves it too,” Sans says. You look up and see your dog eyeing the toy, running into it and knocking it over. 

“Ooh, better put that away,” you say. “Toby’ll probably destroy it.”

“I should be going anyway,” Ashley says, standing up. “Thank you so, so much for dinner and the presents, guys.”

“Don’t mention it,” you say, giving her another hug. “Drive safe, okay?”

“Of course.”

She gives one more pet to Toby before she leaves, and then she’s gone. When you turn back to everyone else, you catch Madison in a yawn.

“Tired, kiddo?” you say. “Wanna go to bed?”

She shakes her head. “Can I watch one more movie first? Frosty?”

“Sure,” you say, moving to get it started. “Frosty, and then bed.”

The four of you have a much easier time sitting on the couch, especially when Madison is half in your lap and you’re half in Sans’. As the movie goes on, you see Madison get more and more tired, her yawns increasing in both length and quantity. 

Once the movie’s over, you nudge her. “Alright. Let’s get the milk and cookies out and then you can go to bed, okay?”

“Okay,” she mumbles. You walk into the kitchen and take down a plate and a glass from the cabinet. Taking the milk out of the fridge, you let Madison pour it, making sure she doesn’t spill any of it. Then you set three cookies on the plate and get her into the bathroom to brush her teeth. By the time she heads into her room with Papyrus, she looks just about dead. You hope she falls asleep quickly. 

The bedroom door closes and you and Sans are left alone. 

“should we…?” he says, gesturing to your bedroom. All the presents from Santa are in your closet. 

You shake your head. “Give ‘em a few minutes to fall asleep.” You don’t want to risk either of them waking up while you and Sans are in the middle of everything. 

So the two of you just sit on the couch for a while, watching TV. Sans plays with your hair which, hey, is just about shoulder-length now. You should get it cut soon. 

After maybe a half hour of this, you turn to Sans. “Let’s do it.”

He nods and blinks out of the room, only to blink back in a minute later carrying an armful of presents. You grab a bunch out of your closet and join him back in the living room, where you spread the goods out on the couch. That way they can’t be missed come morning. 

“I can’t wait to see their faces,” you say to him. 

“heh. me too.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this story always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside :)
> 
> (i wonder how long that'll last)


	45. Gloria In Excelcis Deo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...this one was my bad, you guys.
> 
> Long story short, I hit kind of a rut with this story, especially in writing this chapter. But! I made some edits in my planning document, which should fix that! Yay!
> 
> I should also mention that, lengthwise, we're like, three quarters of the way done. Just giving you guys a heads up about that.

For all the Christmas Days you can remember, you’ve gotten to sleep in late, make yourself a leisurely brunch, and have a nice, calm morning. That does not happen on this particular Christmas morning. 

“Auntie Cate! Auntie Cate! Santa came! Santa came!”

You are awakened from a nice and peaceful sleep by a five year old launching herself onto the bed—and onto you. 

“Mm, what?” you grumble as you try so desperately to go back to sleep.

“Santa came!” she screams, practically in your ear. Your eyes shoot open and you catch a glance of the clock on your bedside table. 7:27. Jeeeesus Christ.

“That’s great, honey,” you say, rubbing your eyes. You turn over to your other side and see Sans still asleep, somehow. You bet he’s faking. There’s no  _ way  _ he could be sleeping through this. “Maybe, uh, could you maybe go back to bed? For a few minutes?” Or an hour?

She responds by shaking your shoulder. “Nuh-uh! You  _ have  _ to get up, Auntie Cate! Santa brought stuff for you, too!” 

It was a long shot, you tell yourself as you roll out of bed. There was no way that was going to work. Doesn’t mean you’re not still upset about it. But as you cast your gaze over your boyfriend’s sleeping form, you realize you don’t have to suffer alone. 

“Hey, did Santa bring anything for Sans?” you ask her. She nods. “Well how about you wake him up while I wash my face and stuff?”

You get up off the bed with a smirk on your face as Madison shifts her attention to Sans. He loves Madison too much to pretend to be asleep when  _ she’s  _ bothering him. 

One quick trip to the bathroom later (after running into Papyrus in the hallway—he’s just as excited as Madison is) and you walk back into the bedroom to see Madison and Sans both sitting up on your bed. He’s telling her a story that’s making her giggle. 

“so then frisk asks me for another hot dog, but they don’t have anywhere to put it. so i offered to put it on their head. and they giggled, just like you right now.” He pokes her lightly in the stomach and she almost doubles over with laughter. “and they wanted more! i put twenty-nine hot dogs on that kid’s head before i told ‘em no more.”

“Why stop there?” you ask from the doorway. Madison and Sans both turn to you, smiles wide. “I mean, if Frisk could balance twenty-nine hot dogs on their head, why not keep going?”

“thirty’s just excessive.”

“Sans!” Papyrus calls from behind you. “Are you awake yet? There are presents from Santa to open, and Madison said we had to wait for you and Cate!”

“Yeah!” Madison chimes in, shaking Sans’ arm. “You gotta get up! Come on!”

Sans makes a show of it, stretching his limbs and slowly pulling back the covers. “anything for you, kiddo.”

Madison jumps off the bed in delight and pulls you into the living room, plopping down right in front of the couch, where the pile of presents you and Sans placed last night is sitting, each one wrapped and labeled. With a little bit of help from you, Madison distributes the presents.

“Okay, are you ready to open?” you ask. She and Papyrus both nod. “Okay. One, two, three, open!”

What follows next is a flurry of wrapping paper and squeals of delight. Toby is also delighted, if the way he runs around barking is any indication. You still need to take him out. Oh well. He can wait until after presents. 

“Look at what Santa brought me!” Madison cries, holding up the mermaid costume you saw last week when you were shopping with Papyrus. “I can look just like Ariel now!”

“Wow, Santa did a good job with that one!” you say. “What else did you get?”

* * *

 

A few hours later, Madison is making her way through the first Magic Treehouse book (Sans and Papyrus bought the first four for her), Sans helping her through the bigger words. Papyrus is playing with Toby, and you’re gazing happily at the joint present you got from Sans and Papyrus. 

It’s a little house, a little Department 56 house figure with ceramic snow dusting the rooftop and yard around it. It’s plugged in right now, so there’s a light shining out from inside it, as if there were a little family inside, going about their Christmas day.

“You can start your collection!” Papyrus had said when you opened it. You were speechless as you looked at the box and you rushed to set it up on the kitchen counter, thanking both of them profusely. Now, just like your mom, you can have a Christmas village, too. 

Your thoughts are interrupted by your phone buzzing in your pocket. You reach down and look at the display. It’s your parents’ home phone number. 

You pick up. “Hello?”

“Merry Christmas, sweetie,” your mom says.  

“Oh, uh, hi Mom,” you say. Out of the corner of your eye you see Sans turn around on the couch to face you. “Merry Christmas to you, too.”

“How’s your day been?” she asks you. Her voice is full of genuine curiosity. “Is it just you and Madison today, or…?”

“Sans is here too,” you say. “Him and his brother Papyrus. They spent the night last night.”

“Well that’s nice!” she says. “You know, I can’t wait to meet Sans again, now that I know you two are dating. He  _ is  _ coming to the gala, right?”

“Yep.”

You can physically feel her delight through the phone. “Oh, I’m so glad. Now tell me—are you two getting pretty serious? Is this my future son-in-law we’re talking about?”

“Oh my god, Mom, we haven’t even  _ talked  _ about anything like that! We’ve barely been dating for six months!” Sans looks quizzically in your direction, and you wave your hand in the air to show there’s nothing to worry about. “It’s a little early to think about that, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” she says in a pseudo-teasing tone. “Sometimes you just  _ know. _ You know?”

You... _ might  _ know. With your and Sans’ souls connected now, does that mean you’re monster-married? You feel like this is something you should probably figure out with Sans. Marriage...that’s really something. You haven’t dated anyone you could see marrying since, well, Grayson. And  _ that  _ worked out well. 

But...well. Sans is, he’s  _ different. _ He’s a good guy, a really good guy. And he cares about you, about Madison, so much. You don’t think there’s anything else you could want in a potential husband.

Even so, you push down this line of thought. It is  _ way  _ too early to be thinking of something like that. 

“Maybe,” you say as an answer to your mother. 

“Well, just think about it,” she says. “Now, is Madison available? I’d love to say Merry Christmas to her as well.”

You call Madison over and hand her the phone, telling her who it is. As she gleefully talks to her grandmother, you go to get yourself a glass of water from the kitchen. 

“what did your mom say?” Sans asks as you sip it by the sink. 

“Ah, not much,” you say. “She was just being nosy about us.”

“oh,” he says. “i’m sorry.”

You smile. “Honestly? I like it. It’s better than her damning us to Hell or something. It feels...normal. And I like that.”

He wraps an arm around you and massages your far shoulder. “good.” 

“You know,” you say to him, “I don’t think I’ve gotten a Christmas present from you yet. There was the house, but I have a feeling that was more Papyrus’ idea than yours.”

He chuckles. “yeah, it was.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. “here. i didn’t wrap it real well, but…”

You roll your eyes as you take it from him. “I wouldn’t expect anything different.” You open the box to reveal a necklace with a gold chain, a jeweled pendant in the middle that looks like an apple.

“This is, it’s  _ beautiful, _ ” you say. “I love it, Sans!”

He smiles. “yeah, well, you’re gonna be teaching pretty soon, and i guess it’s a human thing to give the teacher an apple?”

“Yeah, it is,” you say. You set the box down on the kitchen counter and turn to him, enveloping him in a hug. 

The rest of the day passes in much the same way, and the boys go home late that night, arms full of presents. Madison’s already asleep, and you nudge her awake and lead her to her bed, where she promptly falls asleep again. Then you clean up the rest of the wrapping paper haphazardly thrown around your living room and get ready for bed yourself. 

The last thing you feel before you fall asleep is an overwhelming sense of peace, like everything in your life is going just right, for once. 

You feel like nothing could ever go wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Hey Alice, did you write that last sentence to give your readers a sense that something might go wrong?"
> 
> Why no! Why would you think I'm the type of person who could ever do something like that?
> 
> Catch you guys next time.


	46. On The Job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This one's a little short but it accomplished everything I needed to, plot-wise.

Today’s the day.

Your alarm goes off an hour earlier than usual and you open your eyes and stare at the ceiling for a few moments.

Today’s the day you teach for the first time. 

It’ll be fine, you tell yourself as you get dressed. Dr. Nelson sent you all her lecture notes and PowerPoints, and answered any questions you had by email. You’ve got everything you need for the first day. For the first week, honestly. You’re probably overprepared. 

You’re eating a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table when Madison comes out of her room. “Morning!”

“Oh, hey!” You stand up, a little startled. “What are you doing up?”

“I heard you get up! You get to go to your new job today, right?”

You smile. “That’s right, kiddo. I’m gonna start teaching today. Want some cereal?”

She nods and sits down at the table while you get her a bowl. “Are you excited?”

“Yeah!” you say, setting the bowl down in front of her. “It’s something new and exciting for me!”

She picks up her spoon and digs in. “You’re gonna be a great teacher!”

The earnestness and conviction with which she says it makes a pleasant warmth settle in your body. “You really think so?”

She makes an “uh, duh” gesture with her spoon, spilling a little of her cereal in the process. “You’re the  _ best _ , Auntie Cate! And all your students are gonna love you, just like I do!”

God, everyone should have someone like Madison around. Does wonders for self-esteem. 

Papyrus and Sans come by not too long after that. Papyrus has to watch Madison for you in the mornings, now, and get her on her bus. You and Sans, meanwhile, are going to be carpooling to Friedman together from now on. You wish you could stay behind and send Madison off to school like you used to, but you’d be very late for your own class if you did that. You just have to tell yourself that you’ll be home in time to get her off the bus, and you’re really not missing all that much. 

Still, it’s a little melancholy leaving her behind as you and Sans head downstairs to the garage. 

“hey, you okay?” he asks you, hand wrapped in yours as you make your way between the cars. 

“Yeah, I’m alright,” you say. “A little nervous. And, heh, silly as it seems, I miss taking Madison to the bus stop.”

His hand gives yours a comforting squeeze. “hey, that’s not silly. you miss doing something special with her, and that’s okay. you’re not silly or overreacting for thinking that.”

“I know,” you say, leaning over to give him a peck on the cheek. “It’s just something I need to get used to.” You pull away when you reach your car and get into the driver's seat as Sans gets into the passenger seat.

“hey,” he says after you’ve started the car. You turn to face him. “i love you.”

You smile. “Love you too.”

* * *

 

You drop Sans off at the physics building, and he gives you one last peck and a hurried “love you” before he’s gone, probably teleported right into his classroom. He likes to do that on the first day, he’s told you. Gets the students interested. You would think the fact that your boyfriend’s a skeleton monster would be enough to do that, but oh well. To each his own, and all that. 

That just leaves you to drive over to the parking lot behind the chemistry building by yourself. You park, turn off the car, and grab the bag full of first-day things you put in your backseat. Your heart’s pounding a little faster than normal as you head into the building and make your way to your office. You set your things down and grab the pile of syllabi, first-day lecture notes, the handouts for the first week’s lab, and a student questionnaire. You check the clock and see that you have ten minutes before your first class begins. Some of the students might already be there by now. 

Swallowing down your nerves, you pocket the flash drive that holds all of Dr. Nelson’s PowerPoints and leave your office, locking the door behind you. 

It takes you just about one minute to get to your classroom. You know this because you’re counting the seconds to try and calm yourself down.  _ It’ll be fine. You’re going to do great.  _

Words of encouragement from Madison, Sans, Papyrus, even Dr. Nelson’s assurances flow through your brain as you step over the threshold into the classroom. 

Fifteen heads swivel to meet your gaze as you enter the room. You glance over them all, doing your best to put an expression on your face that doesn’t look like you’ve been in a slight state of panic all morning. You walk down the steps of the lecture hall until you’re at the bottom of the stairs, and check the time again. Class doesn’t start for more than five minutes, and there are still quite a few empty seats in here. It isn’t a very  _ big  _ lecture hall, with maybe thirty or forty seats. But you’ve looked at the roster a few times, and you know this particular class is almost full. 

Of course, you’re not going to spend the next five minutes in silence as your students stare at you. 

“Hey, how was everybody’s vacations?” you ask, not really sure what else to say. “Anybody go anywhere, do anything extra fun?”

A monster girl in the front row (a green fire elemental who looks remarkably like Grillby, come to think of it) pipes up first. “I went to Washington, DC,” she says. “Went on a tour of the White House.”

“Did you meet the President?” someone asks from behind her. 

She shakes her head. “Nah, he wasn’t there.”

A good portion of the class groans, and you stifle a laugh. Just these few little bits of conversation are enough to make you feel a little less nervous. You listen to your students talk and chime in a few times yourself as the rest of your students trickle in. 

At 9:30 on the dot, you call the class to attention. 

“Hey guys! Welcome to Chemistry 110!” You start handing the papers you have to the students. “My name is Cate Foster, and I’ll be teaching you guys this term. I’m filling in for Dr. Judy Nelson, who’s on sabbatical with Dr. Haileab from the Geology Department this term.”

“What are they doing?” the fire elemental from earlier asks. 

You remember what Dr. Nelson told you back in November. “They’re going to Ethiopia, to study isotope samples from the East African Rift Valley. Cool stuff.”

One of the students in the back nods his head. “Yeah, I had Dr. Haileab last term and he told us about that.”

You nod. “Yeah, so what I’m handing out to you guys right now is the syllabus for the class, a questionnaire, and some handouts for class this week. I want you guys to complete these questionnaires and get them back to me later this week. Cool?”

You hear some murmurs of agreement. “Awesome. With that, how about we go around and introduce ourselves? Like I said before, I’m Cate, and…”

* * *

 

“so how’s your first day going?” Sans asks you. The two of you are sitting at a café not too far from the college for your lunch hour. “everything’s okay?”

You grin as you swirl a fry in some ketchup. “It’s  _ amazing _ ,” you say. “It’s only the first day, but everybody seemed like they really wanted to learn! I had a lot of questions, and we barely covered anything at all today! Oh man, I can’t wait until I see them again on Wednesday.”

Sans is smiling down at his burger. “What?” you ask him. 

He looks up at you, the lights in his eyes bright. “i’m just glad this is all working out for you. you’re so happy.”

You nod a little and bite your lip. “I am, Sans. I really am.” 

The two of you eat in silence for a few minutes until you remember something from earlier. “Oh! Hey, Sans?”

“yeah?”

“Does Grillby have, like, any kids or anything?”

“oh, yeah. he’s got a daughter. why?”

“Because I think she’s in my chemistry class.”

Sans tilts his head. “really? wow, small world.”

“Yeah,” you agree. “Small world indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah! Cate's got a new job, everything's good. 
> 
> Next chapter's the gala!


	47. Dance, Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello, guess who's back? It's me. 
> 
> I know I was gone for a really long time; it was a combination of too much to do and not enough motivation. But! I'm back now! With the gala chapter, six months in the making. 
> 
> Enjoy!

On January 21st, the night of the gala, Sans and Papyrus show up to your apartment exactly at five. You’re all ready to go, wearing a dark blue dress that goes down to the floor. You feel more than a little silly; you haven’t dressed up like this in a long time. But Madison told you that you look nice, and Sans looks good in the suit and tie that matches your dress. So you’re sure it’ll be okay.

You remind Papyrus to have Madison in bed before too long, and then you and Sans head down to the garage to get your car.

It takes you a few seconds of driving to realize that you’re gripping the wheel so hard your knuckles are turning white. With some effort, you do your best to relax.

Sans must notice this as well, because he says, “it’s gonna be fine. it’s just one night with a bunch of stuffy rich people and then we can go back.”

“I know,” you say. “I shouldn’t be nervous, it’s silly.”

“no no, i’m not sayin’ it’s silly,” he says quickly. “it’s totally okay to be nervous! i’m nervous too. there’s a pretty big chance i’ll be the only monster there.”

You didn’t even think of that. “Oh God, Sans! I’m so so sorry!”

“hey,” he says, calmly interrupting you. “it’s fine. didn’t mean to make you worry. both of us are gonna be fine tonight, okay? we’re gonna have a good time. i promise.”

You nod and take a few deep breathes as the two of you get ever closer to your destination.

“Everything is going to be fine,” you tell yourself.

* * *

 

After the valet takes your car, you and Sans head into the large building and, after showing an attendant your ticket, take the escalator up to the second floor, where another attendant guides you to a large room, decked out with around twenty tables and a large space for dancing. You see an orchestra seated in the corner of the room, and you stop short when you realize that, yes, this is the Philadelphia Orchestra. It’s times like these when you realize just out out of touch you are with your father’s world.  

Speaking of your father, you can see him across the room. Your mother’s with him, and the two of them are talking to some people you don’t recognize. Of course, the likelihood of you recognizing more than a handful of people tonight is very slim. You’re about to make your way over to him, to show him that you actually came, when you’re stopped by two familiar faces.

“Catherine! How wonderful to see you here!” Miles Fry, senior member of the Foster Pharmaceuticals Board of Directors, holds out his hand to you, smiling widely. You grasp it firmly and smile back at him.

“Nice to see you too,” you say. “And you, Becca.”

“You look _wonderful_ tonight, Catherine!” she exclaims. She’s holding a glass of champagne in her hand, but she reaches forward to wrap her other arm around you in a quick hug. You do the same, not really sure what else to do. After a few seconds she pulls back and smiles at you.

“You look nice too,” you say. Then you take a step back and kind of push Sans forward. “This is Sans, he’s uh, he’s my boyfriend.”

Miles extends a hand immediately. “Ah, right. I remember seeing you at the funeral. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sans. My name is Miles Fry, and this is Rebecca Olsen.”

“Becca,” she says, smiling.

The four of you talk for a few minutes, Sans expressing what you’re pretty sure is feigned interest in what Miles and Becca do at Foster, before your mother comes your way and takes you by the arm.

“It’s almost time for your father’s speech,” she whispers. You open your mouth to say something to Becca and Miles but Miles cuts you off before you can.

“We’ll talk later,” he says, smiling. You nod and smile back and then you and Sans follow your mother to a table a few rows back from the stage.

“huh, wonder why we’re not in the front?” Sans muses.

You lean over to him. “This is actually the best seat in the house,” you say. “See how the tables by the stage are empty? Those are for people who didn’t RSVP. Seating someone there is kind of a big ‘fuck you’”.

“what, really?” You nod. “rich people are weird.”

“You’re telling me.”

You all take your seats, and a waiter comes out and pours champagne into the wine glasses sitting on the table in front of you. A few minutes later, your father steps out onto the stage, where a podium sits. The room erupts into applause as he appears, so you start clapping politely, too.

Lawrence Foster taps the microphone on the podium, and the applause dies away. He smiles, an expression you remember from your childhood as one reserved for events such as these. It’s almost genuine, and if you weren’t his daughter, you might think it was. But you know better. This is just a formality to him.

“Welcome everyone, to the celebration of our company’s expansion!” he says. Applause starts up again, but ends quicker than before. “This company has been the pride of my family for over fifty years, and I am so proud to have all of you as a part of it. I would especially like to thank my wife, Mary, for standing by my side all these years. And to my daughter Catherine, for being with us tonight.”

You sigh, and you feel Sans squeeze your hand. You squeeze back.

Lawrence’s expression turns somber. “As you all are aware, we lost my son Colton and his wife Amelia in a plane crash last June.” Your head clouds over when he says your brother’s name, and you hear your mother let out a sniff. “It was a great loss, one that undoubtedly will affect our family, and the company, for the rest of time. Colton had ideas, wonderful ideas for progress and for making our company better, and not a day goes by where I don’t wish he were here, to give you all a speech about what those brilliant ideas were.”

You remember the fight you had with your father on Thanksgiving, the one where he told you that Colton wanted to get back in touch with you, to share his ideas for Foster’s future. You start tearing up, and instinctively start dabbing your eyes. Then you feel Sans’ hand move from yours to around your back, where he rubs up and down in a soothing motion. You lean into him. It feels good.

“I want this new location to spawn some of those great ideas,” Lawrence says. “With people even half as brilliant as my son was, we’ll be there in no time.” He holds up his glass of champagne. “To Colton!”

“To Colton!” you and the rest of the room respond, before taking a sip of champagne. Lawrence steps down from the stage, to another round of applause.

By the time your father makes it back to your table, the salad course has already been served.

“How was I?” he asks, just as you put a big bite of Caesar in your mouth.

“Wonderful, dear,” your mother says. That gives you enough time to quickly chew and swallow.

“It was a good speech, Dad,” you say.

He smiles at you. It’s the real deal this time. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to say hello beforehand.” He reaches out a hand to Sans. “It’s good to see you again, Sans.”

Without missing a beat, Sans takes his hand and gives it a firm shake. “nice to see you too, sir.”

He lets out a short laugh. “Oh, call me Lawrence. You’re dating my daughter, after all.”

“heh. i sure am.”

Who is this man, and what has he done with your father?

He continues to be just as amicable through dinner, asking Sans questions about his job and about the Underground. You’ve never seen anything like it before.

At one point, when he is telling Sans some embarrassing story about you from when you were little, your mother leans into your ear.

“He’s been learning everything he can about monsters since Thanksgiving,” she says. “He’s trying so hard to get back into your life, Cate.”

You just nod. It certainly seems like it. But you’re not really sure what to think about it. All signs point to this being used as a way to manipulate you somehow. At least, that’s how it’s always been with him in the past. Why should you believe that his sudden interest in Sans is indicative of anything other than that?

On the other hand, your mother might be right. Maybe what you said at Thanksgiving, both in the fight about your lack of trust in him and at dinner about your love for Sans, actually had an impact on him. Maybe he’s finally trying to see things from your perspective.

* * *

 

A full three-course meal later, the orchestra tunes, and begins to play. Sans looks around, to see couples from other tables getting up and starting to dance. He looks over at you, and you shrug, as if to say it’s all in his hands now.

Hoo boy.

He watches the other couples for a minute and counts the beats in the music to figure out what kind of dance this is.

It’s foxtrot. Okay. He can do foxtrot.

He stand up and holds his hand out to you. You smile, and it’s almost enough to fully relax him. You take his hand, and he leads you towards the dance floor, staying on the edge. He places his right hand on your back, takes your right hand in his left, and waits for a new measure to start.

When it does, he leads you in the basic, stepping forward, forward, right. Forward, forward, right. You nod encouragingly, and it spurs him into leading you into a turn. You execute it flawlessly, and spin out of it smiling.

“You’re a natural,” you say. He’s not so sure about that, but he turns you again, just for the heck of it.

After the song ends, there’s a few beats of silence, and then another one starts up. It’s just a little bit faster, but with three beats in a measure instead of four. Waltz.

His hands and yours rest in the same place they were for the foxtrot, and he waits a measure before beginning. He’s a lot more comfortable with the waltz than with the foxtrot; it’s the one you taught to him first, after all. He also enjoys it more. It’s a smoother dance, and much simpler.

Once it finishes, you give him a kiss on the cheek. “That was really good! And we can dance more, I just gotta go to the bathroom first.”

You take off, and he smiles after you.

* * *

 

It takes you about two minutes before you realize that you have no idea where the bathroom is in this place. You swear under your breath and turn around to head back to the party and see if your mother knows, but as you approach the entry to the party, you see someone come out of it, someone you recognize. It’s Grayson, your ex.

You stop short and wheel around, almost running back the way you came. The last thing you want to do is come face to face with him. Without thinking, you dip into an empty conference room and hide behind the open door.

Footsteps pass by the open door, and you let out a sigh of relief. Just give him a few seconds more, and then you’ll be able to leave and find the bathroom.

You don’t get to do that, however. Before you can leave your hiding place, another pair of footsteps gets closer. This time, however, the person enters the room you’re in, unmistakably talking on the phone. It’s Miles.

“I thought I told you to wipe it clean!” Whoever Miles is talking to is certainly in hot water, you think, as Miles paces back and forth not ten feet from where you’re hiding. You’d try to leave, but it would just be awkward at this point. Hopefully he won’t be here for long. You still have to pee.

Miles seems to be increasingly agitated by the person on the other end of the line, and you hear him threatening to dock this person’s pay pretty severely. Yikes.

At one point, he slams his hand down on the table, and you almost jump. “The data on the black box needs to be erased _now_ ,” he says. “If they decide to investigate the flight data, everything will be _ruined._ ”

Wait. Flight data?

Your stomach catapults into your throat. He doesn’t mean—

"I spent a fortune to take Colton out of the picture, and if you don't wipe the data off that black box before someone takes a look at it, I can do the same for you."

Fuck, _what?_

It’s silent for the next few seconds, and in that span your heart beats a million times. The blood is pounding in your ears, and your mind is fuzzy. Fuzzy enough not to realize that you said that out loud.

You hear Miles speak again, eerily calm. “Excuse me. Something just came up. I’ll have to call you later.”

You hear footsteps, and all of a sudden the door that was keeping you hidden is slammed back into its regular place. Your brother’s killer is standing in front of you.

“Catherine!” he says, an expression of what looks like glee on his face. “Fancy seeing you here!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	48. Bleak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how about that cliffhanger, huh guys?????
> 
> Currently posting from the sci-fi/fantasy interest house on my college campus. I wrote most of this chapter in the past few hours, serenaded by the beautiful tunes of filk music. If you don't know what filk music is I recommend looking it up because it's very good. My personal favorite song so far has been "You Bash the Balrog, and I'll Climb the Tree". 
> 
> I'm trying to plan a few chapters ahead to keep the updates quicker than before, but the last fifth or so of the fic is not nearly as planned as the first four fifths of the fic were. So please bear with me if my updates aren't quick! 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the chapter!

You can’t find words at first. For what feels like hours, you just stand there, staring at Miles. You open your mouth and close it again, not finding anything to say. 

What do you  _ say?  _ How do you react to the news that your brother’s death wasn’t an accident, but a premeditated murder? 

After a few seconds of soaking in, this revelation turns your blood ice cold and your mind blank. And as you look upon the killer in front of you, your fingers twitch and form fists. 

Still wordless, with tears in your eyes, you lunge forward, with no thought other than to make him pay. 

But Miles is one step ahead of you. 

As you try to rush him down, he steps to the side and grabs your arm, twisting it behind you back and bringing you down to you knees before letting go. 

You twist over as best as your dress will allow and scramble up, breathing hard. Your arm hurts, but you’re ignoring that right now. 

Miles is unscathed, and looking at you with an inscrutable expression. “Catherine, I understand you’re upset.”

You laugh, but it turns into a cough. “Upset? You killed my fucking  _ brother!” _ You lunge at him again, but he grabs your arm before it can hit him. 

“You need to calm down before you do something you regret,” he says with a tone that makes you stop and look up at him. 

He must catch the questioning look in your eyes, because he clarifies. “You didn’t think you were getting out of this scot-free, did you?”

In a second, your anger drains away, replaced by a chilling, clammy fear. Your eyes flit to the door, now on the other side of Miles thanks to your earlier rampage, and back to Miles. He still has a grip on your arm, but you think if you pull away now you should be able to make a break for it. 

Or not. Miles must have figured out what you were going to do because his grip on your arm tightens and he shifts so he’s squarely blocking the door. 

“Let me go,” you say, voice shaking. 

“I will,” he says. “Once you agree to my terms.”

You’re terrified. You have no idea what is going to happen to you in the next few moments, and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ve never felt more helpless. 

“What do you want?” You do your best to hide your terror. 

“Simple,” he says banally. As if any of this could ever be considered simple. “You can’t tell anyone about what you heard tonight.”

You blink, swallow, and nod. “I won’t.”

He nods back, and lets go of your arm. You immediately pull it back toward your chest and head to the door, looking back at Miles as you go. He says nothing, only watches you go. 

As you put your hand on the doorknob, he breaks his silence. “One more thing, Catherine.” You clutch the doorknob even harder, but turn to look back at him. “If I find out you’ve told anyone, whether it be the police, Lawrence, or anyone else, there will be consequences.” You try to keep your expression as neutral as you can, but your heartbeat is going into overdrive. “I can’t help but notice the little family you’ve created for yourself, with Madison and your monster boyfriend, Sans, was it?”

When he mentions them, you have to bite back a sudden, scared sob. Ignoring you, Miles continues. “You’ve got a nice little family here. It’s be a shame is something were to happen to it.”

With that, he pulls out his phone and turns away from you, and you take that as your cue to bolt. 

It takes you a minute, but you eventually find the bathroom. And not too soon, because right after you latvh the stall door behind you, your repressed emotions come flooding to the surface. 

You start sobbing so hard it turns into dry heaving, with gasps of breath taken between each outburst. Not caring about your dress, you slide onto the floor and just sit there, sobbing until you can’t anymore. 

You just sit there for a minute, until the door to the bathroom opens. You figure it’s just someone coming in to use another stall, but then you hear a very familiar voice. 

“cate? are you in here?”

In a panic, you scramble up from the floor. “Y-yeah, Sans. I’m here.”

“you’ve been here for a while, is everything okay?”

No. “I, uh, I think there was something bad in my salad,” you lie. “I’m getting over it now though.”

“jeez, that sucks,” he says. “well, uh, party’s wrapping up and your parents wanna say goodbye before we leave. not to rush ya or anything.”

“N-no, I’m coming,” you say, trying to make your voice less hoarse. “Just gimme a few minutes to freshen up, ‘kay?”

“sure thing,” he says, before closing the bathroom door. 

You let out a breath and leave the stall, turning on the cold water faucet in the sink as you look at your face in the mirror. 

Time to make it look like nothing’s wrong.

* * *

 

Something is very, very wrong. 

You were gone a suspiciously long time, Sans had thought, when he’d been sitting for three separate songs. And then, all of a sudden, he felt something go wrong in your soul. It was faint, probably because you weren’t right next to him. It scared him, and he’d almost gotten out of his seat and bolted right then, to try and find you. But then your mother started talking to him, and he was trapped. 

The first chance he could, he got away, and made his way to the bathroom. Being close to you and the way your voice sounded confirmed it. Something happened. Something more than just bad indigestion. 

When you leave the bathroom, the first thing he notices is how bloodshot your eyes are. You look like you’ve been crying, and like you’re desperately trying to hide it. 

“Hey,” you say. Your voice is still hoarse. 

“hey,” he says, going up to you and wrapping an arm around your waist. “you sure you’re okay?”

Almost imperceptibly, you shake your head and whisper so quietly he almost can’t hear you, “Later.” Then you start walking forward, and he drops it for now. He’s worried, so worried, but he won’t push you. Not here. 

You seem to have put on a more solid happy face on the walk back to the room, because you say goodbye to your parents in what seems like a natural way. Then Lawrence shakes his hand, and to his surprise, Mary actually pulls him into a hug. 

“Take care, you two,” she says to him. 

“we will,” he answers. Then you take his hand and the two of you walk away, out of the building and down to the valet parking. Sans can’t help but notice that your eyes keep darting around, like something might pop out at you two at any moment. It makes him uneasy, but he doesn’t say anything. You’re already nervous enough. 

When you get to the car, you get in wordlessly, and once he’s buckled, you pull out of the garage and out onto the street. 

You’re silent the whole way back, and Sans can’t help but notice how your fists clench at the steering wheel. 

When the two of you get back, you stay silent all the way up the elevator and down the hall to your room. But when you open the door and start talking to Papyrus, you act more like you were in front of your parents. Like nothing’s wrong. 

Papyrus assures the two of you that both Madison and Toby were well taken care of, and you thank him and tell him to have a good night. He sticks around for a second, until Sans tells him that he’ll be spending the night up here with you tonight. Then he winks and leaves the apartment, leaving you and Sans alone. 

“I’m gonna check on Madison,” you say. “I’ll just be a minute and then I’ll tell you what happened.” 

He nods, and once you disappear so does he, to his bedroom downstairs where he quickly changes out of his gala outfit. 

When he pops back upstairs, you’re just coming out of her bedroom. 

“everything good?” he asks. 

“Here, yeah,” you say before taking him by the hand and almost pulling him into your bedroom. “Let me get changed first.”

“of course,” he says, sitting on the bed. You grab a pair of pajamas and disappear into the bathroom. While you’re gone his mind begins racing, trying to think of what could have possibly gone so wrong in such a short time. 

When you come back out, you join him on the bed and immediately lean on his shoulder. 

“cate, what happened tonight?” he asks. “your soul—it must have been something big.”

You let out a sigh and look up at him. There are tears gathering in your eyes. “I couldn’t find the bathroom, so I was coming back to ask somebody where it was but then I saw Grayson so I went and hid in an empty room and I was gonna leave but then Miles walked in and–“

“miles? the board of directors guy?”

You nod, the tears about to fall. “He was talking on the phone with somebody, and then he said something about a black box and I didn’t get it at first but…”

You’re unable to finish your sentence as you burst into tears and bury your face in the crook of Sans’ neck. He can do nothing but rub your back supportingly as his brain works to conjure up every possible scenario. 

After a while, you sit back up and scoot closer to him. “He-he made the plane crash. He made Colton’s plane crash.”

Of all the scenarios Sans was considering, this one didn’t even cross his mind. “what?! what do you mean?”

“He must have paid off the pilot,” you say. “Remember? The grant he sponsored for the pilot’s kid? He promised he’d give her all that money if the pilot—if he crashed the plane.” As you say those words, you break down again, and he can’t do anything for you. 

“i’m gonna call the fucking police,” he mutters under his breath. “he’ll fucking pay for this.”

“No!” you practically shout, grabbing onto his sweatshirt. “No, don’t!”

“why not?” he asks. “he killed your brother!”

You frantically grab his hands and grip them tightly. “He’ll hurt you! He’ll hurt Madison!”

“ _ what? _ ”

“He caught me listening in,” you say. “And he told me that if I told anybody that something bad would happen to you and Madison. I can’t-I can’t let that happen. I can’t lose you too!”

He searches your eyes, sees the absolute panic in them, and pulls you close, burying your face in his sweatshirt. 

“you won’t,” he says, smoothing down your hair as you sob against him. “i promise. i’m right here. madison’s in the other room. you just checked up on her. nothing’s gonna happen to us.”

You fall asleep half an hour later, still clutching onto him. He does he best to cover you up, but you won’t let go of him. Eventually he gets the blanket over the two of you, and he watches you fitfully sleep for hours, cursing Miles, cursing everything that conspired in the Universe to lead you to this point. 

The two of you are going to figure out a way out of this, a way to fix everything. He knows this wholeheartedly. 

He just hopes, for your sake, that it’s soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all have a good rest of the weekend!


	49. Functional

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey folks, sorry about the wait on this one. finals were a mess, and that winter break depression hit me hard. but hey, i managed to get another chapter out! finally!
> 
> also, this chapter put me over 100,000 words!!!!!

When you wake up the next morning, you feel absolutely drained. It takes you a second to figure out why, but when you remember it all hits you at once. Fuck.

You feel Sans’ arms encircling you, and you hold onto that feeling. It’s safe here, in his arms. Warm. You let yourself stew here in this feeling for a few more minutes. 

But sadly, time passes, and you know you need to get up. Madison cannot know that anything is wrong, so you have to act like nothing is wrong. Which is fine. You can do that with no problem. Totally.

Sans stirs when you get up to shower, but he falls back asleep pretty quickly. You envy him. 

You shower quickly, and try not to let your thoughts wander too much. If you’re not careful, you’ll start thinking about Colton and—you’re crying again.

God, you were just, well, not getting over it, but starting to move on. It was getting easier, focusing on raising Madison, your new job, Sans. The wounds were starting to heal. 

But now they’re all wide open again. 

You manage to calm yourself down and finish showering. Sans is awake when you step out to grab clothes, and you offer him a sad smile as you pull on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. It’s about all you can muster right now. 

He comes up to you and pulls you into a tight hug. “want me to start on breakfast?” he says in your ear. “and you can get madison up?”

You nod, and detach from him. You’re so thankful that he’s here, helping you like this. You haven’t had something like this in a very long time. Someone who loves you, who is here for you. Through good times and bad. And this is definitely one of the bad times. 

He leaves the room, and you force yourself to leave as well, so you don’t lie down again. You hear Sans bustling in the kitchen as you push open the door to Madison’s bedroom. 

She’s curled up in bed asleep, clutching the teddy bear you got her for her birthday. That seems like forever ago, now. Simultaneously forever ago and last week. Time is a funny thing. 

Now, though, you do what you do most days, and gently shake her awake. She’s a light sleeper, so she stirs easily. 

“Morning, kiddo,” you say to help her wake up. She nods sleepily, but when zhe realizes who she’s talking to, she shoots out of bed and gives you a hug.

“Hi Auntie Cate!” she exclaims. “How was the dance? Were Grandma and Grandpa there? Did they dance?”

Her boundless enthusiasm never fails to make you smile, even in the face of the worst thing that has ever happened to you. 

“I...think they did,” you say after a moment, making sure your voice is even. The last thing you want is to break down in front of Madison. “I wasn’t really paying attention.”

She beams. “Is that because you were dancing with Sans?”

You whisper, “Maybe.”

She just laughs and the two of you pick out some clothes for her to wear. 

When you leave her room, the smell of pancakes fills the room. Madison recognizes it too, and she dashes to the kitchen, where she practically tackles Sans in a hug. 

“woah, nice to see ya too, kid,” he says, ruffling her hair.

Madison lets go of him and pokes her head up so she can see the stovetop. “Is the big pancake for me?” she asks.

Sans’ eyes flick over to you. You nod. “of course. wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She’s ecstatic, and won’t let go of him until he slides the pancake on a plate and covers it in syrup and whipped cream, just the way Madison likes it. He makes you up a couple as well, and the three of you sit down together at the table. 

If Madison notices how quiet you’re being this morning, she sure doesn’t act like it. You watch as she shovels down her food while Toby sits under her, waiting for scraps to drop. Which reminds you. Toby hasn’t been out today. 

“Oh, I need to take Toby out,” you say almost absentmindedly, pushing yourself up from the table. Toby runs over to you, like he understood what you said. “We’ll be right back,” you call to Sans and Madison, grabbing your keys and your phone before slipping on some shoes and heading out. 

You avoid looking toward the front desk as you head out. If Dex sees you he’ll probably try to talk to you, and you don’t have the energy for casual conversation right now.

On the way to the park, your phone rings. You consider letting it go to voicemail. It can’t be that important, right? But you look at it anyway, and it’s your dad. Blinking in confusion, you answer.

“Hey, Dad,”

“Hello, Catherine,” he says. “Did you sleep well?”

No. “Yeah, great,” you say. “How are, uh, you and Mom?”

“Fine,” he says. “I was wondering if you had time for the two of us to visit you at your apartment today. I remember at Thanksgiving you mentioned we could do so?”

Oh jeez. You forgot about that. You really don’t want to deal with this today; you rack your brain for any reason to reschedule. But you can’t find one, not one that would be convincing anyway. You really don’t want your dad to try and figure out what’s wrong. 

“Um, that’s fine,” you say. “How about 12:30? I can make lunch.”

“Sounds wonderful,” he says.

You give him your address and then you hang up. Once the line is dead, you let out a heavy sigh. Guess this is something you’ll have to get through today. 

The second you get back to the apartment, you start a pot of coffee and begin pulling out the cleaning supplies. Sans just looks at you.

“...what are you doing?” he asks after a minute. 

“My parents are coming over in three hours,” you say shortly, shoving the bread and cereal boxes in the pantry in an attempt to clear the kitchen counter. 

“Grandma and Grandpa are coming over?” Madison asks. 

“They sure are,” you say, trying (and failing) to sound pleased. Madison doesn’t notice, but Sans sure does. 

He walks up to you and whispers, “hey, are you good with this?”

“No,” you whisper back. “But what can I do? They can’t know anything’s wrong. They can’t.”

“anything i can do to help?”

Wordlessly, you hand him the container of Clorox wipes. He gets the idea.

* * *

 

Around 11, you kick Sans out, telling him you’ll let him know when your parents leave. You wish you could have him there, but you’re worried about the message it would send. Not that you’re ashamed; you love Sans, and you don’t care who knows. But it would make this already hard visit even more difficult. You change into something more appropriate, and you and Madison pull together a lunch of fettuccine alfredo. The noodles finish boiling just when your father calls to tell you they’re here.

Your parents’ faces are hard to read when they enter your apartment for the first time. You can’t help but remember the house you grew up in. The master bedroom alone was bigger than your apartment is. And, even though you hate it, you still have that urge to impress your parents that you’ve had your entire life. 

Madison, meanwhile, continues to notice nothing. “Hi Grandma! Hi Grandpa! Wanna see my room?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, instead taking them by the hands and forcibly dragging them to her room. 

And just like that, the tension is broken. Madison shows your parents all her toys, while Toby gives them his usual greeting—blatantly ignoring them. You finish up the noodles and the sauce and call everyone to lunch once it’s ready. 

Over lunch, the conversation immediately turns to the gala, and you have to fight to keep your food down. 

“I thought the evening went rather well,” your dad says to you and your mom. “Everyone loved my speech, and I didn’t step on anyone’s feet while dancing.”

“That’s because you hardly danced at all,” your mom teases.

“Was it fun?” Madison asks. “Is Grandpa a good dancer?”

Your mom chuckles. “He’s alright, I suppose.”

You change the subject by mentioning something about your job, which both your parents seem thankfully interested in. Talking about chemistry allows your heart rate to lower some. 

Once you finish eating, you clear the plates. Madison wants to play dolls, so your mother follows her back into your room, leaving you and your dad alone.

It’s silent as you start the dishes. You don’t want to say anything, and he doesn’t seem to want to either. But after a minute or two, he speaks up.

“Catherine, I...know you likely won’t care that I’m about to say this, but I’m proud of you.”

You look up at him, dumbfounded. “What?”

“You’ve done well for yourself.” He speaks slowly, like he’s watching his words. “When you were born, I had a plan for you. I had a plan for everything. Or, well, I thought I did. When you presented your thesis, I panicked. You had forsaken the plan. And in that panic, I decided to forsake you in turn. I had never imagined why you would go against our family like that. At Thanksgiving, when we talked, I began to understand.

“I grew up believing that the family name, that the family company, was all that was important. Your grandfather drilled that into me, and I wholeheartedly believed it. I still believe it. And when I tried to instill that same belief in you and failed, I thought there was something wrong with you. But all along, it was something wrong with the company.”

You can hardly believe what you’re hearing. “What are you saying, Dad?”

“I’m saying I want to change. I want the meaning of the family name to change. I want the company to change. Foster Pharmaceuticals has been in business for decades, and we’ve never changed our business model, just made it more efficient.”

“How are you going to fix it?” you ask. “You can’t just snap your fingers and boom, you’re no longer a threat to the environment.”

“I know,” he says. “It will take a lot of work. I’m working on a proposal to the board, to hire a team to assess our environmental impact, and to give the company solid advice on how to begin to rectify our past mistakes.”

“...You’re serious?” you say after a moment of silence.

He simply nods. 

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he says. “I wanted you to know that I’m trying to do right by you. To continue Colton’s work to make Foster better.”

You see Miles’ face in your mind and you ball up your fists. In this moment, you want nothing more than to tell him everything you know. To expose Miles for the murdering snake he is. But you can’t. You’re so afraid of what he can do, you won’t even risk telling your dad. 

“Well, good luck,” you say after another moment of silence.

“Thank you,” he says. Then, after a beat, “I’m going to need it.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all i really wanna say down here is that the vikings won their playoff game at the LAST SECOND and i'm soooo happy. love that local sports team.
> 
> see y'all next time!


	50. Routine Checks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! i'm back again with another chapter!
> 
> this one proved really easy to write, surprisingly!

It’s been about a week and a half since the gala, and everything feels...relatively normal. You still feel terrible, but it’s becoming easier now. To deal with it. Keeping your routine has helped a lot. It’s much easier to keep your mind off things when you’re at work, teaching classes. Or when you’re home with Madison, eating dinner together or playing with Toby. 

There are the times, however, where it all becomes unavoidable. Madison goes to bed at least three hours before you do, and those three hours are really tough for you. Sans comes over a lot, and that helps. But he has his own life, and he can’t be there for you all the time. Not that you expect him to. But those hours where you’re left alone with your thoughts are when things are really bad.

Luckily for you, you’re in class right now. You’re currently walking the class through atomic orbitals, a subject you remember struggling with yourself. Luckily, you still remember the analogy Dr. Nelson used when she taught them to you, all those years ago. 

“So, it’s kind of like a neighborhood,” you say. “Let’s say there’s some really nice housing down by a beach, for example. And two people can live there. But there’s the same quality of housing a little farther away from the beach. People are going to want to move into the closer housing first right? So they do.”

You continue like this for a while, continuing your analogy and fielding questions until you get the sense that most of the room understands what’s going on. You check your watch and see you only have five minutes of class left. No sense in diving into another topic quite yet. 

“You’ll be dealing more with orbitals in your labs next week,” you say to them. “And the syllabus has the readings on orbitals, which should help you prepare for that. If anybody has any questions, I’ll be holding office hours for the next hour after class today and Monday. Have a good weekend, everyone.”

All the students shuffle out of the room and you make your way to your office. You’re not banking on anyone coming to your office hours. It’s Friday, and you’ve only had a few students come to your office hours. That was the day before their first test. Which everyone did pretty well on, actually. 

You spend your hour spinning around in your office chair and listening to music, trying not to think about, well, that thing you don’t want to think about. Toward the end of the hour, you get a text on your phone. It’s from Ashley. 

**hey! wanna grab some lunch? we could go to the thai place nearby!**

You smile. It’s been too long since you hung out with Ashley. Maybe this will help you take your mind off things. 

**yeah! my car is parked in front of the chem building. see ya in a few!**

You grab your stuff and head out, shutting the lights off and waving goodbye to one of the other professors in the department. It’s a short walk to your car, and Ashley arrives after a few minutes. The two of you hug and then get into your car.

The Thai place you and Ashley have been to before is only about five minutes from the university, and it’s late enough in the day that the lunch rush has already passed. The two of you are seated and you both order entrees to share before you finally get a chance to talk. 

“How’s Toby?” she asks after a beat. You can’t help but laugh. 

“All you care about it my dog,” you say. “He’s good! He’s a grouchy boy, but he’s good.”

She smiles. “He never changes.”

“He was pretty cordial to my parents, actually,” you say.

Ashley’s eyes go wild. “Oh yeah! I forgot they were in town a few weeks ago. For the gala, right?”

You nod a little stiffly, trying not to betray the shivers that run down your spine at the mention of the gala. “Yeah, they came to see the apartment the next. It went fine, thankfully. They’re, uh, actually trying now.”

“Really?” She looks surprised. “After everything they’ve done and said, they’re actually trying to get close to you?”

“It started with my mom,” you say. “When Madison and I were visiting them, she actually called me by my nickname. And said she was glad I was there. I think losing Colton really changed her. She seems terrified of losing me.”

Ashley nods. “She should be. You’re great. But what about your dad? He didn’t seem to want to have anything to do with you.”

“He’s changing too,” you say. “He started telling me things about Colton, and about the company. How he wants to change everything and make it better. He said he wants to do right by me.”

Ashley furrows her brows. “Are you sure he’s your dad? He hasn’t been replaced by a body snatcher or something?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” you say. “It’s weird, and unexpected, but it’s him.”

* * *

 

After lunch, you drop Ashley back off at the university and head home. Even though lunch took a while, you’re still back in plenty of time to get Madison off her bus. You take Toby downstairs with you to do it.

“I saw Ashley today,” you tell him. “She says hi.”

Toby, being a dog, doesn’t respond. But you swear he tilts his head like he knows what you’re talking about. He probably does, honestly. 

Madison gets off the bus and gives you a hug and Toby a pat on the head. 

“How was your day at school?” you ask as you head inside. “What did you do today?”

“We played games in the computer lab!” she says. “One of them was a typing game, and you were on a spaceship! And you had to type words really really quickly so the ship wouldn’t be hit by a meteor!”

“Oh, well that sounds exciting!” you say. “Did you do it?”

She nods. “I did really good! And then in PE we played foursquare!”

You smile. “I played foursquare when I was little, too! Do you guys have any special rules?”

She frowns. “We have some, but I don’t like them! Every time Erica gets the ball she calls cherry bomb and then she throws it really hard and everybody always gets out. It’s not fair!”

You nod sympathetically. “Well, next time you play foursquare, you should call cherry bomb, and then throw it at Erica. Then she’ll get out!”

Madison giggles. “That’s not nice, Auntie Cate!”

“This is foursquare!” you say in response, as if that explains anything. 

When you get back up to the apartment, Madison shrugs off her backpack and you get to helping her with her math homework. She’s not a big fan of math, but she’s a trooper anyway. You hope she likes it more as she gets older; it’s the only thing you feel qualified to help her with. That and reading, you suppose. But she’s reading very well on her own now. She’s already burned her way through the Magic Treehouse books she got for Christmas, and now you’re trying to make time to buy the next set. 

After Madison finishes her math homework, it’s time to do her reading for the day. She has a book from the school library to read, so the two of you curl up on the couch together, each with your own books. She’s supposed to read for twenty minutes, and you set a timer, but the two of you usually end up reading for longer than that. It’s one of the most peaceful times of the day. 

About half an hour later, you let her turn on the TV and watch some cartoons. You’re not really sure what they’re about, but they seem kid-friendly enough. You text with Sans for a little bit (he’s out of town with Papyrus for the weekend visiting Toriel and Frisk), and then it’s time to start on dinner. 

“What do you think, Madison?” you say, stepping back from the freezer. “Dinosaur chicken nuggets or Totinos?”

“Dinosaurs!” she calls back with no hesitation. You don’t even know why you asked. 

You spread them out on a baking pan and preheat the oven while you peruse your vegetable selection. You’re down to green beans or peas. Yikes. You really need to get to the grocery store soon. But for now, green beans it is. 

When dinner is ready, you tell Madison to turn off the TV. Then you spread some chicken nuggets out on her plate and squirt out some ketchup for her to dip them in. She turns up her nose at the green beans, but she picks at them anyway. You feed Toby, and then you sit down to eat as well. Dinosaur chicken nuggets are highly underrated, you think. They really are one of the few perfect foods. You’ll have to buy more of those the next time you go to the store.

After dinner Madison takes a bath, and the two of you calm down with a movie. Madison picks Cinderella, and by the time it’s over, she’s nearly asleep. You have her brush her teeth and tell her a short story before she falls asleep in bed. 

Then, you’re alone. 

You take Toby out one more time, and then you sit on the couch, flipping around TV channels for something to get lost in. You wish Sans were here with you. You wish you could feel safe telling anyone else about what really happened to Colton. Your dad mentioned he’s going to try and fix the company. What if something happens to him because of it? You may not be on the best of terms with your father, but you don’t want him to  _ die.  _

These thoughts spiral around your brain until you feel like you can hardly breathe. Picking up your phone, you thumb through your contacts until you find Sans’ number. But should you call him? Nothing is wrong, and you don’t want him to be worried about you and try to come home early. He’s been looking forward to this trip all week. And besides, you should be able to deal with this on your own. At least for a weekend. 

You don’t get to make any further decisions, however, because your phone suddenly rings. The vibration scares you, and you almost drop your phone before calming yourself and looking at it.

You don’t recognize the number, but your phone tells you it’s a number from Fayetteville. Puzzled, you answer. 

“Hello?”

The voice on the other line is frantic. “Catherine? It’s me, Becca.”

Now you’re even more confused. “Becca? What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk about Miles.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> becca probably needs to know what his favorite color is for some reason. it's probably no big deal.
> 
> we're supposed to get almost a foot of snow here tomorrow and i'm really excited about it! not excited about walking to class in it, but! it will be pretty, and i will enjoy it, goddammit!
> 
> catch you guys on the flipside!

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or you just want to chat, head over to my [tumblr](http://rosesandspades713.tumblr.com/) and hit me up! I love talking to you guys.
> 
> ALSO: I did an ask on tumblr [here](http://rosesandspades713.tumblr.com/post/146047599096/all-of-the-things-for-the-oc-asks-i-love-cate) that explains a lot more about Cate's character, if you guys are interested.
> 
> ALSO x2: I drew Cate a while back and finally [posted it](http://rosesandspades713.tumblr.com/post/150881829306/sometimes-i-try-to-draw-sometimes-i-draw-my-ocs)


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